I suggest that you must slice it directly across the grain. Like flank steak, it must be cut across not with the grain.

I had skirt steak last night. No marinating, pounding or whatnot. Skillet cooked on the highest heat possible, and it was crusty on the outside and juicy and tender inside, But, I carefully cut it just like a flank steak.

 

I suggest that you must slice it directly across the grain. Like flank steak, it must be cut across not with the grain.

I had skirt steak last night. No marinating, pounding or whatnot. Skillet cooked on the highest heat possible, and it was crusty on the outside and juicy and tender inside, But, I carefully cut it just like a flank steak.

Oh, I have been cutting across the grain on all instances I have tried (forgot to state that in the OP). Do you get the style of skirt steak that comes with the membrane on it? I've read that there is an inner and outer skirt steak. The Inner comes with the chewy membrane removed, where as the outer skirt steak comes with it still attached.

Whenever I cook mine, the outside is never crusty. I read that cooking it should eliminate the remaining "membrane", but it never does for me. I cook on the highest heat setting also. I'm using a stick-free pan though, not a skillet

 

I get the outer. Its thinner too. I am buying it at a pretty high end butcher shop, so I am not sure what the big box stores have. It has fat on it, but no "membrane." Maybe a little on the back side. But, nothing like a silver skin from a filet.

Get your skillet smoking hot, salt and pepper the steak. Sear for a few minutes on each side. If you need it to get a crust, put a little butter in the pan and wait until it turns brown and stops bubbling then add the steak.

Stick free is ok, just get the pan as hot as you can before you put in the steak.

As for removal of the membrane, although I am not seeing it on mine, its all about how sharp your knives are. I use a Victorinox 8" chef's knife ($29) sharpened to razor sharp and it will remove anything.

 

I plan on buying the outer next time and trying everything you listed. Where do you buy your outer from? A Wal-Mart style place? Or do you go to a legit butcher?

Thanks!

 

Throw the steak in the crock pot.
eaking:

 

LOL That's not manly enough!!!!

 

I watch my friend who owns 6 very successful Mexican restaurants do it all the time.
Here's what I see them do:

1. They buy ONLY certified angus beef....and pay out the azz for it... ( as far as skirt steak prices go). These steaks come from the vendor in sealed plastic, like a vacuum bag. They are never frozen. They get them fresh, 3 times a week.

2. There are two kinds of skirt meat available. Inside and outside.
I think it's the outside that's used in Fajitas in the better restaurants. Much more tender. The inside variety is used for fajita nachos, etc. Much tougher meat.

3. They do a lot of trimming on the hunks of beef. Lots ! And yes they remove the membranes and separate the skirt in smaller pieces about the size of a man's two hands, side by side.
4. Then they season/marinate them, rolling them up in clear plastic rolls about 5 inches in diameter....having stacked several steaks together. They sit in the cooler at least overnight, and up to 2 days.
5. The cook over an open fire, sprinkling them lightly with some season salt, removing them from the fire and letting them rest for 2- 3 min. They dont cut them into strips until just before they put them on the heated plate of onions and bell peppers.

They must be good, because a single location sells over 600 lbs a week.

 

Great post! Thanks! I'm wondering what they use to marinate them. My next task is obviously to find a place that sells the outer skirt steak.

 

I'll ask the cook what he uses on them, next week. I seem to remember seeing him squeeze something all over them, like maybe lime juice...and shake a little seasoning over them. That's all....but honestly, I cant remember exactly. We are usually talking football at the time.

 

To make a proper "Fajita" you need two things.your proteins and a very hot pan to sear your meat and lock in that liquid gold.to do so you must first get your pan HOT.then add the oil.never add oil to a cold pan.second once you add your oil let your oil come up to temp and once that happens add your proteins.if you don't hear that searing sound right away then it'll boil.Alton brown once said,"the difference between and sear and simmer is the heat".u don't want to simmer the beef that is why you are getting chewy beef.your stewing your beef in its juices.so be sure to have high heat.the cut of the meat doesn't matter.i sear whole top sirloin steaks I'm a frying pad. I'm big into cooking as a hobby and profession.and fajita style dishes and strir fry are my specialties and have learned so much from great chefs.

 

He's right, if you pan fry the meat.....the pan has to be HOT. Not medium hot, but OMG-freaking hot ! In fact, for pan seared steaks, (which I rarely do) I first place a cast iron pan in a 500 degree oven to get it hot, take it out....and then I'll add the little bit of olive oil and then meat while on the stove top to get a good sear. But I'd rather grill it.

Most restaurants I know of dont pan fry the skirt for fajitas. They grill it over an open gas grill in the kitchen. But the first thing they do is to lay a cast iron serving platter upside down over a hot burner until it gets cherry red hot. Then they grill the beef, ( the onions and peppers are always 1/2 grilled, sitting in a pan on the flat top), then add the onions to the cherry hot plate. Next comes the beef, after slicing it in strips, then they squeeze a little oil/butter mixture over it all for the sizzle. Once those 1/2 cooked onions hit that super hot serving platter, they caramelize, and of course...the smell is heavenly. Damn, I'm getting hungry at 3 am just thinking about it.

Oh, I did check... and the skirt is the "outside" skirt for sure.
Havent checked on the marinade. Will try to remember to ask this week.

 

I actually did a skirt on the grill for xmas appetizer yesterday. Melt in your mouth goodness. Tried a new way and it came out great...and yes get the outer skirts, only way to go and the couple bucks extra is completely worth it.

I make my own rub, so I rubbed it down. That's usually all I do before throwing it on the grill, letting it sit for a few hours after rubbing. This time I threw it in a ziploc and pured some agave nectar on it to soak for a couple hours since I was pairing it with some abruzese and horsradish cheeses. Gave it a little sweetness to cut the cheese bite. Apparently it was pretty good since none was left!

 

I've always used top sirloin or what ever steak was
left over from the grill. The steaks are always cooked
med-rare, so all I do is slice them up in to strips, heat
the pan on med high, then add all the veggies until
they brown up with out going limp. At the end add the
steak just to heat it through. I think the key is to grill
the steak, **** the pan fried ****.

 

As for skirt steak, I marinate it for about 48 hours,
cook it med-rare, and let it rest! Cut it thin and it
always comes out tender!

 

Ok...sorry I'm so late on the update...but I finally asked the cook at the restaurant what he used on the fajitas. It's actually pretty simple. But remember, the quality of the beef is the most important thing here. To reiterate, Certified Angus OUTSIDE skirt steak is what they use. Never use INSIDE skirt steak. It's tougher.

Lawry's season salt all over.
A little black pepper.
Fresh squeezed lime juice and an olive oil rub down. ( it's actually an 80/20 blend of light olive oil and veggie oil)
He rolls them up inside tin foil and puts them in the cooler overnight.
That's it.

Just dont over cook it. Med rare is about right because it's served on a super heated ( red hot) iron plate and will continue to cook as it's being served.

 

Maybe my butcher has a special source, but the skirt steak I get is tender as a strip and finely grained like a filet. I wouldn't think of marinating it, or tenderizing it with anything. I cook it inside exactly like I would a filet. Three days of refrigerator aging, let it warm to room temperature, rub with oil, salt and pepper, and drop it in the hottest black iron skillet I can manage. 2 minutes on each side, let sit for a couple of minutes and slice one bite a a time on the bias.

 

I don't care what anybody says. Grilled steak tastes
way better then pan fried steak for fajitas.

Meow..

 

Of course it's grilled !

 

I don't care what anybody says. Grilled steak tastes
way better then pan fried steak for fajitas.

Meow..

Hell yeah, frying is for chumps and no authentic Mexican would be caught dead frying steak or carne asada unless they work at Panda Express.

 

Well, I grill most things too, but just to be sure, many of the best steak houses in this country use a superheated black iron skillet on their steaks like I suggested above. Not anywhere near all of them use open flame. What they do in Mexico, I wouldn't know.

 

Well, I grill most things too, but just to be sure, many of the best steak houses in this country use a superheated black iron skillet on their steaks like I suggested above. Not anywhere near all of them use open flame. What they do in Mexico, I wouldn't know.

I was joking, but I really do prefer grilled chicken and steak for fajitas. Some of the Mexican restaurants here do both; start by grilling, then they transfer the meat, onion, and peppers onto a skillet and serve at the table that way (i.e. the skillet becomes the serving plate and continues to cook and keep the fajitas warm).

I say you can darn well have it how and when you want, if you're paying for the food; sort of like the J.G. Wentworth approach to Mexican cuisine.

 

I grill the steak, and pan fry the onions, peppers, on medium high
heat. I like the veggies to still have a slight crisp to them, I hate
when people make them and they come out soggy. Add the steak
at the end just to warm it up, and dinner's done! :thumbsup:

 

For some "crunch" in the dish, try some sliced, raw jalapenos. Also, I don't know if you have ever come across raw potato straws, but they make a great addition to a heavy wrap. Be sure to use hard Russet potatoes and cut them about 1/4 the diameter of a french fry and put them on top instead of tomatoes or lettuce.

 

TXjeepTJ,
Your fajita meat should be sliced very thin and only across the grain of the cut. Always remove the membrane-like stuff and maybe make a couple of quick passes with a knife down the length of the meat, very shallow cuts. One of the quickest ways to ruin fajita skirt steaks or flank steak is to cut with the grain. If you do that it will always have what I call the Goodyear chew.