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Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on April 19, 2012

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 2 scallions, sliced thin2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar 4 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 (12-ounce) skirt steaks, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces and trimmed

Before You Begin

Keep the marinade at room temperature or it will cool down the steaks.

Instructions

  1. Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, scallions, 2 tablespoons sugar, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and 1½ teaspoons pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and sugar has dissolved. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  2. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
  3. Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill steaks (uncovered and directly over coals if using charcoal; covered if using gas) until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to 13 by 9-inch pan and poke all over with fork. Pour marinade over steaks, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer meat to carving board and slice thinly against grain. Pour marinade into serving vessel. Serve, passing marinade at table.
Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak

Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 (12-ounce) skirt steaks, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces and trimmed

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 (12-ounce) skirt steaks, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces and trimmed

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 (12-ounce) skirt steaks, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces and trimmed

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

The loose grain of skirt steak makes it an ideal candidate for a flavorful marinade, but wet meat simply steams on the grill. To achieve a charred crust, we season our steak with salt, pepper, and sugar before searing and don’t marinate until after it comes off the grill. Poking the grilled steaks with a fork lets the bold, savory flavors penetrate into the meat, and since the marinade never touches raw meat, we also serve it as a sauce on the side.

Before You Begin

Keep the marinade at room temperature or it will cool down the steaks.

Instructions

  1. Combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, scallions, 2 tablespoons sugar, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and 1½ teaspoons pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and sugar has dissolved. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  2. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
  3. Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill steaks (uncovered and directly over coals if using charcoal; covered if using gas) until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to 13 by 9-inch pan and poke all over with fork. Pour marinade over steaks, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer meat to carving board and slice thinly against grain. Pour marinade into serving vessel. Serve, passing marinade at table.

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