Skirt steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat, its cheap, so full of flavor and perfect for grilling. At my local warehouse club store, BJ’s, they sell skirt steak for under $5 a pound. If you’re entertaining, this is a great way to feed a hungry crowd steaks on a budget. There are a few rules to skirt steak - grill to medium-rare and slice it across the grain. I usually marinate 4-6 hours in a combination of spices - each time its different depending on what spices I have on hand and what type of cuisine I am planning on serving. Last night we served a Middle-Eastern/Moroccan meal, so I used Ras El-Hanout, a Moroccan blend. Be creative - you could use Thai spices, Chinese 5 spice powder, Indian (masala), Mexican (fajita seasoning), etc. My favorite spice to use is Old Bay Seasoning - I love the combination of bay leaves, mustard, clove, cinammon and ginger in the spice. I always serve skirt steak with Persian Cherry Rice. I haven’t perfected the recipe yet - but will post the recipe as soon as I can. Its a beautiful combination of basmati rice, saffron and cherries.

Grilled Skirt Steak

Feeds 6 hungry people

3 lbs skirt steak, cut into 8″ pieces
3T olive oil 3T red wine vinegar
3T brown sugar
2T red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2T spice mixture such as Ras El-Hanout or Old Bay Seasoning
salt & pepper

1. Marinate the steak in the ingredients above for 4-6 hours. 30 minutes prior to grilling, remove steak from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature.

2. Grill to medium-rare (about 3 min each side). Since the thickness of skirt steaks can vary, make sure that you put the thicker slices on the grill first.

3. Let the cooked steaks rest for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain into thin slices. Serve.