Skirt Steak With Calabrian Chili Chimichurri

Cooking with Rocco
by Cooking with Rocco
4 servings
20 min

Skirt steak is probably my favorite cut of meat…if it’s cooked right, and most importantly, cut right. It’s the easiest piece of meat to cook, takes only minutes on a grill or cast iron skillet, and is the perfect candidate for marinades since it’s so thin and has tons of open fibers.


Marinate the steak overnight in your favorite Cuban-style mojo, make an authentic Mexican carne asada, or whip up your favorite marinade using any other ingredients you’d like.


In this recipe, I kept it simple. I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper, dry brined it in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, cooked it on a ripping hot cast iron skillet, and then topped it with a Calabrian Chili Chimichurri.


I like to dry brine the steak. It helps the meat absorb the natural juices, and helps with tenderizing the steak.

I mentioned earlier that the most important part is how the steak is cut. Well let me give you a little tip. Skirt steak usually comes rolled up, and when unrolled, it could be anywhere from 1 to 2 feet long. I usually cut the skirt steak into 6 to 8 inch pieces before I marinate it. After the steak is cooked and rested, you want to make sure you cut the steak against the grain. To do this, cut each steak in half, turn it, and then slice. So if you have a 6 inch strand of skirt steak, cut it in have so you have two 3 inch pieces, then turn each piece and slice against the grain. This should yield you about 3 to 4 strips.

Skirt Steak With Calabrian Chili Chimichurri
Recipe details
  • 4  servings
  • Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 20 min
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Ingredients
Skirt Steak
  • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
  • 2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Calabrian Chili Chimichurri (recipe below)
Calabrian Chili Chimichurri
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Calabrian Chili paste (or whole Calabrian Chili finely chopped)
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
For the Steak
Let's start by dry-brining the steak. Lay the steak down on a clean work surface and pat both sides dry with a paper towel. Then rub both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to the fridge. Refrigerate, uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.
Remove the steak from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking, and let it get to room temperature. Using a paper towel, pat the steak completely dry. 
If you're using a cast iron skillet, heat the skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, lightly drizzle with oil. Lay the steak in the pan, and sear for 3 minutes (or until the steak has a nice crust and easily removes from the pan). Flip the steak and sear for another 1 to 2 minutes (or until desired doneness).  
Once done, remove the steak from the pan and let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes.  
Once rested, cut the steak against the grain. I like to cut the steak in half, turn it, and then cut it against the grain into strips (about 3 to 4 inches long, by 1/2 inch thick).  
Making the Chimichurri
In a bowl, mix together the parsley, garlic, shallots, Calabrian Chili, red wine vinegar, and EVOO. 
Add salt, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed
Cooking with Rocco
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Comments
  • SS SS on May 25, 2021

    This is a rub. Brine is in liquid. If no liquid it’s a dry rub.

    • Cooking with Rocco Cooking with Rocco on May 25, 2021

      This is a dry-brine, where wet-brining involves liquid. Dry-brining is essentially salting and letting it sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours, which changes the protein in the meat.

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