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Tuesday, November 09, 2010

A nice bit of skirt

When it comes to meat, the Boy Wonder and I have what could be called fillet steak tastes on a scrag-end budget. But this has been the year of discovering the joys of cheaper cuts, and so I am proud to present to you my latest find: skirt steak.

Mooo! Image via Wikipedia
You may know this long, flat piece of beef by its other names or closely related cuts, such as flank, bavette or, plate. It's got lots of flavour but a reputation for chewiness, which is not a quality used prized in flash-fried steak.
But cook it right - so it's medium rare inside and crusty outside - and you're rewarded with a surprisingly good (and amazingly cheap) dinner. I've been practicing lately and think I've nailed it. Here's how:


Take the meat out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Rub it on both sides with a clove of garlic and a little olive oil. Heat a heavy pan until smoking hot, then slap the steak on it. Cook, without touching it, for three minutes, then turn and cook the other side for another three minutes. Remove from the pan to a warm plate, then cover loosely with foil and let it rest for five minutes. Slice across the grain and serve with salad and the Boy Wonder's potato cakes.

4 comments:

  1. so rarely eat beef... I like the really cheap cuts myself x

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  2. I don't eat beef, but the boy does...so I'll keep a look out for this cut.

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  3. Everyone in our family loves steak, chops, sausages, etc. But we always have to wait till the husband is home to cook because I always, always manage to cook it until it's tough. My excuse is too much multi-tasking. This sounds perfectly easy though and if I set my timer, I might just be able to impress the husband:). Thanks for another great recipe and joining in with easy peasy dinners!

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