Try this easy summer skirt steak recipe

I have a thing for skirt steak. It has deep, rich, meat flavor. It is not a tender cut (like filet mignon), so it has the chewiness of a hearty steak. Skirt steak is sold in long flat strips that are barely an inch thick at the widest part — but that is also something to love. These strips cook in about 6-8 minutes and you don’t want to over cook them. Because it is a chewier cut, it is best served medium-rare — more than that and it can get a tough.

Let the cooked meat stand about 3 minutes, then cut across the strip on a sharp diagonal, so you are slicing against the grain. Serve the ½-inch (or less) slices fanned on a platter and drizzled with chimichurri (a sauce you can whip up in the blender in no time).

Skirt steak can be cooked on the grill, in a grill pan, or in a skillet (especially cast iron!) with great results.

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

Zest the orange before you squeeze the juice for both the marinade and the chimichurri.

Steak:

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 ½ pounds skirt steak

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Chimichurri:

¾ cup cilantro

¾ cup parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ teaspoons orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons lime juice

¼ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Marinate the steak: Combine the orange juice, olive oil, lime juice and garlic in a large bowl. Add the steaks and turn them to coat in the marinade. Let the steak marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

2. Make the chimichurri: combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a blender (or food processor) and purée. Taste and add salt as needed.

3. Heat a lightly oiled grill or grill pan over medium high. Remove the steak from the marinade, (discard the marinade), and season with the salt and pepper. Place on the grill (pan) and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side (for medium-rare). Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 3 minutes before slicing diagonally across the grain into ¼- to ½ inch pieces. Serve drizzled with the chimichurri and pass the remaining sauce in a bowl.