Perfect Skirt Steak Marinade with Chimichurri Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long can you marinate skirt steak for? ›

How long to marinate your steak depends on the size and variety of the cut you're using. Thinner cuts, such as skirt or flanks steaks, should be marinated for 2-4 hours. Tougher cuts, such as top sirloin or sirloin tip, will benefit from marinating overnight (about 8 hours).

Because this is a tougher cut, it's best to marinate skirt steak before cooking it. This will help to tenderize the protein and it will allow you to customize the flavors of the steak. Before marinating the steak, you should trim away any excess fat or silver skin (or ask your butcher to do so).

You don't want to marinate the steak longer than 12 hours, however, because the acid in the marinade will begin to change the structure of the meat and it can become mushy.

Information. Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

Skirt steak is thin and lean, so going past medium-rare or medium doneness will yield an extremely dry and chewy steak. Cook it hot! Cook it fast with high heat, instead of low heat for slow cooking. There is not much connective tissue in skirt steak.

And second, make sure to marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes before cooking, the outlet advises, which will help soften those tough muscle fibers — especially if you choose a brightly acidic marinade featuring vinegar or citrus juice (via Taste of Home).

Skirt steak is shaped much the same, but tends to have a beefier flavor. But, this cut comes from the diaphragm muscles of the animal, making it a tougher piece of meat. It can become very chewy quickly, especially if it's not cooked correctly.

Chimichurri can become bitter if the ingredients aren't balanced properly. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to fix bitter-tasting chimichurri. Adding more acidity, like citrus or vinegar, can counteract bitter flavors. You can also add a touch of sweetness in the form of honey or sugar.

3 tablespoons dried basil leaves. 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes. 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves. 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt. 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.

Skirt steak: Comes from the plate section of the cow, right below the rib and between the brisket and flank. Rich and flavorful, it cooks quickly and is less expensive than fancier cuts like tenderloin. But, it can be just as tender when cooked properly—fast and hot is best!

Do you wash marinade off steak before cooking? ›

Remove Marinade Before Cooking: To prevent flare-ups on the grill and ensure properly browned meat when sautéing or stir-frying, wipe off most of the excess marinade before cooking. Keep just a little marinade on the meat surface to maximize flavor.

Once the pan is hot, lay your steak in and leave it undisturbed. The high heat will brown the steak quickly, and once you see a deeply brown, crispy texture on the outside of the steak, flip it. This should only take 2-3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the other side.

Marinating cuts of beef that have tough muscle fibers (like skirt steak) for a good deal of time ensures you end up with a juicy tender on the inside skirt steak that is just seeping with amazing flavor. I personally marinate for 24 hours or longer.

Most marinades call for 24 hours, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service notes that you can marinate for up to five days. Experiment with different marinade ingredients to customize the flavor.

As long as your marinade mixture includes at least one tenderizing ingredient, you should get good results from a 24 to 48-hour soak in it. Soaking the meat beyond 48 hours will just leave the surface too soft and mushy.

Marinate the steak for 24 to 48 hours. 48 hours is ideal, if you have the time, for the strongest, best flavor. Step Seven Remove the steak from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before cooking. Discard the excess marinade and pat the steak as dry as possible with paper towels.