Last night I made one of the best dinners I’ve cooked in a long time. It’s hard to choose favorites, but this steak dish had everyone coming back for seconds, and even thirds.
I’ve waxed poetic about my love of skirt steak before in this newsletter, but it’s worth bringing up again because it really is *the* ideal cut for summer gathering. Skirt steak can take a marinade, in this case, an umami bomb of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic, so you can let it hang out in the refrigerator for a few hours before dealing with it. When it comes time to cook, all it takes it 2 minutes on each side until charred. It’s crucial that the center is pink here, so if you have any well-done steak lovers in your circle, it’s time to give them a hard talking to about their life choices.
While you could serve the steak as is, what I think really makes it all come together is a shower of marinated tomatoes that gets topped on the steak right before serving.
A few notes to consider:
Since skirt steak is so thin, I wouldn’t recommend marinating it for over 8 hours or you run the risk of the acid breaking down the proteins and making the meat mushy (gross, I know).
Skirt steak is typically very long, so to make it easy I cut it into 8-inch pieces which make it more manageable to marinating and grilling.
While the smokiness of the grill lends an unbeatable flavor, I realize it’s not always an option. Alternatively, you can make the steak in a cast iron or stainless steel pan on the stovetop.
If you don’t like olives, leave them out of the tomato topping. Speaking of, you can use any ripe tomatoes you have available here, just make sure to cut them into bite-size pieces.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Skirt Steak
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 8-inch sections
Tomato Topping
1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, roughly torn
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Directions
Make the marinade: Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes together in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the skirt steak to the marinade and use your hands to toss until coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 8 hours.
Make the tomato topping: Add the olives, olive oil, vinegar, shallot, and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes and parsley and stir to combine. The tomatoes can be marinated for up to 2 hours in advance.
If using a gas grill, turn it to high heat. If using a charcoal grill, place the hot coals in the middle of the grill to get as hot as possible. Add the steak and cook until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip the steak over and continue to cook until charred, another 2 minutes.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve sliced steak topped with the tomato mixture.
I’m participating in a local pie auction to raise funds for two refugees to attend SUNY Delhi’s nursing program. There’s 25 pies listed which cover everything from banana cream pie, strawberry rhubarb, butter tarts, and even tickets to a pizza pop-up. You can bid on my pie here, a strawberry and early stone fruit pie with a lattice crust.
Mamma mia! Can't wait to cook this.
I’ve tried several times, I can't even write a coherent thought over how much I want to eat this. Thank you for the eye candy! 🥩🍅