Skirt Steak

Know this

Skirt is the diaphragm, the muscle that pulls every breath the animal ever takes. It never rests, and muscle that never rests is where beef flavor concentrates. That is the whole trade: it will out-taste a filet and cost you a third as much. There are two of them and they are not the same. Outside skirt is the diaphragm proper, wider, thicker, more tender, and the one restaurants buy. Inside skirt is thinner, leaner and chewier, and it is what most supermarkets put in the case labeled simply "skirt steak." Ask which one you are holding, and if the counter cannot tell you, buy the one with the coarser, more open grain. The chef secret: the grain runs across the short width of the steak, not down its length. Everyone gets this backwards because the steak is long and the instinct is to slice it like a loaf. Slice it the long way and a perfect medium rare eats like a rubber band. Cut it into short lengths first, then slice each one across, and the same steak turns tender.

Cook

Screaming hot and fast. Two to three minutes a side in cast iron or straight over coals, and stop at medium rare. It is a thin steak, so the heat does the work and there is no margin. Rest it five minutes, then slice against the grain.

Season

Year round, but it belongs over live fire.

Best pairings

Lime · Cumin · Charred onion · Chimichurri · Garlic · Smoked chili

Also worth trying: cilantro, flour tortillas, blistered scallion, avocado, pickled red onion, oregano, black pepper, sherry vinegar, grilled peppers.

Recommended wine