You’re a meat lover. You’ve had a deep craving for a well-marinated, grilled skirt steak cut from a cow. However, you are done picking the spice and sauce you intend to use for the marinade and the exact fruit juice or cocktail of your choice.
You get to the beef section or perhaps decide to purchase from the butcher’s counter, and you realize that the price of skirt steak has doubled. Why is skirt steak so expensive!? You wonder. This article discusses everything you need to know about the cut of meat and why it just might have gone up in price before you try it next.
Why is Skirt Steak so expensive?
Skirt steak is so expensive because it is one of a cow’s tastiest parts/cut with a priced flavor. This means that if you plan a mouth-watering meal course, skirt steak is indeed a great choice.
Yeah, skirt steak is so expensive because a cow’s natural body structure consists of only two skirt steaks which explains why it is so costly, as butchers will need more cows to produce more skirt steaks. So it is only natural that the cost of caring for and feeding these cows to produce more skirt steaks will thus increase.
What is Skirt Steak best for?
Skirt steak is best for various meals; the main course meal, a fantastic dinner, a summer dish for grilling lovers, a weekly night/movie night snack, and definitely breakfast and lunch.
Grilling is the best. It can be grilled skirt steak with creamy citrus sauce, mashed potatoes puree and braided skirt steak, skirt steak marinade with chimichurri sauce, skirt steak with roasted veggies,
What is Special about Skirt Steak?
Skirt steak is loved for its incredible taste and flavourous nature. With a perfect combination of spices and sauces, skirt steak shines bright on the palate.
Skirt steak is also famous for its ability to absorb the flavors of marination due to its loose structure. It is a thin, long cut of beef from the cow with grain lines running horizontally. Thus it is cut against these grain lines for a leisurely chew. This style of cutting makes it unique.
Amazingly, skirt steak is one of the top 20 protein-rich foods. So a low-carb eater can consider it a great choice.
Is Skirt Steak a good cut of meat?
Absolutely! It is a chef’s choice. Even though it has a tough nature with connective tissues, it is incredible for grilling after marinating with sauce and spices.
Read also: What Is Gamey Meat? (Tips for Removing Gamey Taste from Meat)
What to serve with Skirt Steak
Variety, I will say!!!. Skirt steak can be served as simple fajita scrambled.
A wife or mom can serve skirt steak with a sunny side up or over-easy fried eggs or scrambled eggs, sauteed spinach with sliced avocados for breakfast. Since eggs are not my thing, I prefer grilled marinated skirt steak with delicious olive oil, braised bell pepper, and onion combination served with coffee, tea, or wine, whatever drink that is soothing to your palate.
For a snack up, it can serve as cheesesteak egg rolls, steak kabob, or skirt steak tacos with any fruit juice of your choice.
It can be served as a pan-seared steak in butter sauce with fresh herbs watered down with a cocktail drink for a weeknight meal or a movie night.
For a beautiful dinner, skirt steak can be served with boiled, roasted, or fried potatoes garnished with vegetable sauce or mushrooms cooked in garlic butter.
How to tenderize Skirt Steak?
- First, cut skirt steak into thin slices across the grain lines.
- Second, rub in marinade. The marinade could include lime juice, soy sauce, apple cider or red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and orange juice.
Of course, skirt steak has a tough nature. This makes it necessary to be tenderized, softened, or easy to chew.
Read also: How Long to Cook 1.5, 2, 2.5 Lb Brisket in An Oven At 275 And 300f.
Is skirt steak high quality
Are you searching for a nutritious, flavorful beef with low sodium and fat content?. Look no further as skirt steak readily provides such. Among other kinds of meat, the quality of skirt steak cannot be overstated. Skirt steak is gotten from the diaphragm muscles of the cow with a rich and beefy flavor.
Why can’t I find skirt steak?
I feel your pain! It can be challenging to find skirt steak. Besides the fact that it is a fabulous cut of the cow, a cow’s formation consists of only two skirt steaks found below its rib. It is the inside skirt steak and the outside skirt steak.
This means that its demand is higher than its supply. If in an area of 30,000 people, butchers butchered twenty cows in a day at a butcher’s shop, just 40 pieces of skirt steak will be available for the whole population. It will become a first-come, first-serve situation.
Therefore, my fellow lover of skirt steak, it is no surprise we can’t easily find it.
Does skirt steak need to be marinated?
Oh yes! What is skirt steak without marination? Every beef should be well marinated before grilling, frying, cooking, or whatever to gain the joy of savoring, and finally, skirt steak. Though marination is not a must-do, marinade helps the meat be more tender and moist. It also adds a juicy flavor to the meat.
How should skirt steak be cooked?
- Cut the meat into smaller portions to make marination even and carving easy after cooking.
- Marinate skirt steak as desired with any marinade of your choice.
- For oven cooking, first, preheat the oven for about 10mins
- Then, place your steak on the oven pan and place it in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes, making sure to turn the steak over to the other side halfway through.
- Allow the steak to rest for 4 to 5mins after cooking to enable the juices to sink properly into the meat before cutting.
How long do you soak skirt steak?
Skirt steak is permeable and thus absorbs marinade faster. So soaking it in marinade should take a short time, say 15 to 20 mins. This helps retain the juicy flavor.
How do you use baking soda to tenderize skirt steak?
A well-tenderized skirt steak is a goal for a meat lover. Baking soda can help achieve this goal by following these steps:
With a large cut of skirt steak
- Thoroughly rub baking soda on skirt steak.
- Allow skirt steak to rest in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
- Rinse well to remove all baking soda before cooking
With smaller cuts of skirt steak
- Dissolve one teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of water (for 0.75lb of skirt steak)
- Soak skirt steak in the solution for about 15 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly after removal
How do you tenderize skirt steak at home?
Skirt steak possesses a tough nature. Tenderizing becomes essential if it needs to be prepared on the home front. To enjoy an excellent homemade dinner containing skirt steak;
- Make sure to cut the skirt steak flat.
- Beat with a mallet or tenderizer or use a fork to pierce holes through skirt steak to help absorb marinade more quickly
- Vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, and even yogurt are acidic ingredients that aid in tenderizing skirt steak.
- Cook and let meat rest to ensure carryover cooking which contributes to a well-tenderized skirt steak.