Skirt Steak Inside Vs Outside

How To Store Skirt Steak

If you want to store the skirt steak right from the butcher shop, your best bet is to put it in the fridge or the freezer. That way, you prolong the shelf life of the steak for as long as you want.

The first thing you need to do is wrap the steak with plastic wrap and put it in a sealed container. This will prevent bacteria from getting into the meat and prevent moisture loss.

If you put it in the fridge, the longest you can go without cooking is five days. Beyond that and the steak might have gathered some bacteria or may have spoiled beyond safe for eating.

When you use the freezer to store the skirt steak, wrap it in tin foil instead of plastic wrap. This will do the same things as the plastic wrap, but it also prevents freezer burns.

If you freeze the skirt steak properly, it can last up to a year. It is best to cook the steak within the first 3 months of being stored inside the freezer.

The same process goes for storing cooked skirt steak. However, it does not need to be stored for a long time as it is more prone to getting bacteria that spoils it.

Cooked skirt steaks can stay in the fridge for up to four days. Beyond that, the bacteria would have started acting on the meat and made it spoiled.

What Is The Most Tender Skirt Steak

The most tender skirt steak is the outside skirt steak. It has a good marbling, which gives a beautiful flavor and keeps the meat juicy while it cooks.

It is harder to find and buy outer skirt steak because it is often sold to restaurants, where it is used to prepare dishes like Carne Asada and fajitas.

Meaning, the skirt steak you are purchasing in the stores is inside skirt steak, which is less tender than the outside skirt steak. However, with proper methods, you can turn it into a nice and flavorful skirt steak.

What Is A Skirt Steak

The skirt steak is a long, 2024-inch, thin piece of meat, often 3-4 inches wide. Considered a thin cut, every beef carcass contains close to 3.4 pounds of skirt steak, divided into two inside skirt steaks and two outside skirts steaks.

The skirt steak comes from the plate primal on the cows lower rib cage and shares similarities to several other thin cuts, including the flank steak and the hanger steak. Both inside and outside flank steaks are part of the diaphragm muscle attached to the middle ribs on the underside of the plate.

Once considered an inferior steak, the skirt steak is now prized for its versatility and moderate price. Understanding the skirt steak will open new possibilities both in the grill and kitchen with outstanding results.

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How To Cook Flank Steak

Your best bet for perfectly grilled flank steak is to cook it over medium-high to high heat for just a few minutes per side. You dont want to go past medium-rare, or you risk making it inedibly tough its a fine line between delicious and disaster!

A quick smoke is an option to add a little extra flavor to your flank steak. Just be sure to take it out of the smoker when the temperature is still low enough to finish with a sear.

Like with the skirt, the length of time in the smoker is very low and may not be worth your while. Wed suggest its not, but thats up to you.

Once its cooked and rested, be sure to slice the flank steak thinly and against the grain to create easy to chew morsels for yourself and your guests.

Recipes For Skirt Steak

Although perfect on a hot grill, you can also cook a skirt steak in a cast-iron skillet or under the broilerâor anything else you can get extremely hot. Just remember, you need to cook this cut very hot and very fast. Under no circumstances should skirt steak be cooked past medium-rare it will be way too tough.

If you’re making fajitas or any other stir-fry dish, slice it up first , then marinate and cook it.

• Carne asada tacos

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Where Does Skirt Steak Come From

The outside skirt steak is located on the outside of the chest wall of the steer and runs in sort of a diagonal orientation from the bottom of the 6th rib to the upper portion of the 12th rib.

Inside skirt steak is located inside the chest wall of the steer further back than the inside skirt. The inside skirt also runs parallel with the steers belly as opposed to the diagonal of the outside skirt.

What Are The Difference Between Outside And Inside Skirt Steak

Skirt steak comes in two cuts: outside and inside. While I am sure the difference in cut affects how the meat should be prepared and cooked I am not sure in what ways. A few things I’ve read about the outside skirt reference the need to trim the membrane, but I’m not sure what the posts are referring to. Leading to my questions about the cuts:

• What are the differences between the inside and outside skirt steak cuts?
• How do these differences affect preparation and cooking?
• When should one cut be chosen over the other? Are the two cuts interchangeable in most recipes?

Per Kenji Alt’s Food Lab article on fajitas:

here are really two distinct cuts from the diaphragm of the steer.

The outside skirt steak is from the plate section, below the rib and between the brisket and flank, and usually comes with the membrane still attached, which needs to be trimmed before cooking.

Inside skirt comes from the flankit’s narrower and thinner than the outside skirt, and comes with the membrane removed.

According to the Houston Press, outside skirt stake is extremely rare in the US, as much of it gets exported to Japan due to a quick in the tariffs. The outside cut is tougher, but extremely flavorful. Both are used in similar applications, if you can get them.

A couple of pictures:

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Where On The Cow Does Flank Steak Come From

Flank steak is cut from the flank primal, naturally, and its an abdominal muscle. You generally get the whole muscle from the butcher, and its thicker and wider than skirt, but not as long.

Youll notice right away that this cut is heavily grained, not unlike the skirt. It is, however, much leaner.

Where Does The Inside Skirt Steak Come From

The inside skirt steak is just below and a little further back the outside skirt steak. It goes deeper into the body wall which is where the name comes from and is wider because of fats.

It is in the middle of the body of the cow and is right below the ribs. Because of its relatively higher fat content, the inside skirt steak extends to the lower parts ribs.

This cut of meat extends to the beef flank primal cut. However, when a butcher prepares it properly, it is cut from the ribs, leaving the other part of the meat to the flank.

The inside skirt steak usually weighs more than the outside skirt steak. However, when cooked, the inside skirt steak shrinks more because of the more compact muscle content.

The outside skirt steak, since it has a bit of space between the muscles, shrinks less. Along with its evenly cut shape, the lesser shrinkage is what makes it great for restaurant meals.

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Which Is More Expensive Inside Or Outside Skirt Steak

Outside skirt steak is more expensive than the inside skirt steak. The reason that outside skirt steak is expensive is that it is more tender and flavorful than the inside skirt steak.

It is also exported to Japan and other Asian countries. That makes a shortage of outside skirt steak in the US that has a higher demand for it. That is also one of the reasons why outside skirt steak is more expensive than the inside skirt steak.

How Do You Serve Skirt Steak

Skirt steak can be served as a main dish with roasted potatoes or grilled vegetables.

My sauce of choice is a tangy avocado chimichurri. Slice it up for fajitas with sautéed peppers and onions. Put it on a salad, with greens like romaine, spring mix, or arugula with a tangy vinaigrette. Chop it up to make quesadillas or nachos.

If I ever have leftovers, I always look forward to the next morning’s breakfast, so I can enjoy it with over-easy eggs, sliced avocados, and sautéed spinach.

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What Is A Sirloin Flap Steak Used For

Steak fillets are usually ground and used to make veal sausages and burgers. recommend marinating this piece of meat. Like other flat steaks, the steak is tough and thick in texture, so the acidity and flavor will hold up well.

Grill Vent Open Or ClosedDo the grille openings have to be open or closed?If the food cooks too quickly, reduce the heat by gently closing the top . To increase the heat, open the shutters to increase air circulation. While the grill is preheating, leave the lower openings open to light the fire. Yes, the grille openings must be open.Is it even warmer to close the grille openings?When grilling without a lid, also take into account the bottom flap. The more open it is, the more oxyge

Where To Buy Skirt Steak

You should be able to find skirt steak in the meat department of your supermarket, more often the inside skirt versus the outside skirt Most of the surface fat should have been removed by the butcher.

Although skirt steak and flank steak are two different cuts of meat, the two are referred to interchangeably. But they should both be labeled separately as such.

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What Is The Difference Between Skirt Steak Vs Flank Steak

What is the difference between flank steak and rock steak? Flank steak. Where it comes from: Flank steak comes from the underside of the cow’s belly, so it has a lot of hard-working muscle. bib. Where it comes from: Rock steak is a long, thin piece of meat formed from the muscles of a cow’s diaphragm. Cutting upstream.

Flap Steak Vs Flank Steak

Skirt Steak Vs Flank Steak: Whats The Main Difference

Craving steak? We dont blame you. Every bite is filled with unmatched juiciness, tenderness, and flavor. A problem what arises when selecting meat is that youre faced with so many different cuts of meat. Theres ribeye, filet mignon, T-bone, sirloin, beef tenderloin, and plenty more. How do you know which to choose? Knowing the difference between cuts will help you pick the perfect one. In this guide, we go over the difference between skirt steaks and flank steaks. Read on to become a more informed meat-lover!

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Which Is Better Skirt Steak Or Flank Steak

Skirt and flank steaks each yield similar results, and each one has its pros and cons. And, of course, each one has its supporters, proclaiming it to be the better choice for some reason.

While both are terrific cuts of meat, if we had to choose sides, wed go with skirt. Yes, theyre less tender, but if you cook and cut them right, that wont be an issue.

Skirt cooks faster, offers more flavor, and are usually less expensive than flank. Its a close call, but were declaring skirt steak to be the winner of this showdown.

How Much Meat And Fat Each Steak Holds

If you are diet conscious and want skirt steak or flap steak without fat, its not possible. There is some quantity of fat in each one, and even if you have a thin meat cut, by no means will it be devoid of fat. So, dont get fooled by the appearance of a lean cut.

Also, fat makes it more juicy and flavored.

Here is the nutritional information for flap steak and skirt steak:

Beef Flap Steak

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How To Cook Flank Steak And Skirt Steak

No matter what sort of grill you use, you can prepare flank steak and skirt steak easily.

• Simply preheat the grill to between 425 and 450°F.
• If youre using a charcoal grill, light the fire using a chimney starter and then put coals in the grill to warm. If you are using a gas grill, fire the burners and tune the temperature knobs to the proper settings.
• Searing may happen at 350°F or beyond, but the hotter the grill is, the more apparent the sear would be.
• Lay the steak on the grate when your grill has achieved the right temperature. Then, push it down hard to ensure that the overall cut contacts the grates.
• Depending on the thickness of your cut, you may just need to fry it for two minutes per side for the skirt steak. After two minutes, flip your pan and grill the other side for another two minutes.
• The procedure would be the same for flank steak. However, because the flank is thicker, cooking times will indeed be longer.
• Flank beef usually cooks for 3 or 4 minutes on each side on the grill for a nice medium rare brown.
• If you like the medium doneness, place your steak on the rack with a low heat for a few minutes longer.

Grill the steak

Varieties Of Skirt Steak

The skirt steak you purchase or eat will either be outside skirt or inside skirt. Outside skirt is attached to the outside of the chest wall , running diagonally from the 6th to the 12th rib. It’s covered with a thick membrane which is the diaphragm itself .

Inside skirt is situated below and a little bit further back from the outside skirt. It is located within the body wall itself, which is why it’s called “inside.” The inside skirt muscle lies flat across the lower part of the ribs and extends even beyond the ribs, into the beef flank primal cut, which is part of the hindquarter of the animal. As a result, a wide flap of meat at the rear of the transversus abdominis muscle is usually excluded and ends up part of the flank instead.

Outside skirt is a bit thicker than the inside skirt and it’s more uniform in shape. Inside skirt is thinner, with a slightly more irregular shape. A whole inside skirt might weigh two pounds an outside skirt may be a bit less. But inside skirt will shrink a bit more when you cook it as the muscle fibers tighten up.

Because of its thickness and regular shape, the outside skirt is what restaurants and other foodservice operations prefer to use for making fajitas and other grilled skirt steak dishes.

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Skirt Steak Marinade Recipes

Chimichurri marinade. The zesty Argentinian condiment is great for marinating in addition to being an excellent companion to grilled beef cuts. Make a full batch and use about a quarter to a third cup as a marinade simply spread it over the skirt steak, cover it and refrigerate.

Skirt steak marinade with beer. Our beer marinade for steak is great for pourous cuts such as skirt and flank.

Fajita skirt steak marinade. Use your favorite fajita marinade

Asian stir fry marianade. Use the marinade from this recipe, it is very flavorful and works really well with pre-sliced inside skirt .

What Are Some Recipes To Make Flank Steak

• Skirt steak with mushrooms. As for BBQ Inc.
• Grilled skirt steak with onion. Sabrina S.
• Irish skirt steak.
• Skirt steak marinated in soy sauce.
• Skirt steak seasoned with jerky.
• Grilled tenderloin with roasted red pepper.
• Moroccan steak on the sides.
• Grilled fajitas steak.
• Skirt steak with port and onion.
• Teriyaki steak.

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Beef Inside Skirt Steak

Real beef lovers will appreciate a CMA inside skirt steak. With a little care in preparation, inside skirt steaks are among the most flavorful and best eating of beef cuts. CMA gives you a leg up because we expertly trim the top layer of fat for ease of preparation and great flavor. CMA skirt steaks are also time savers because they cook quickly at high heat. The flavor can be enhanced to perfection with a rub or marinade. Grilled or broiled, skirt steaks offer great flavor every time. We season and tenderize them and they are available individually vacuum packed.

• Grill ready, save prep and labor time
• Ease of handling and efficient use

Cooking Methods

How To Trim Skirt Steaks

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Whole skirt steaks are about two feet long and usually come rolled up from the butcher. You’ll want to unroll them on a large cutting board, your sharp boning or chef’s knife at the ready.

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Unless I’m going for a big, juicy, dry-aged ribeye, the skirt steak is my favorite cut for grilling. It’s got a loose texture with a distinct grain and big, buttery swaths of fat that run through it, keeping it nice and moist as it cooks. And while it’s no longer necessarily dirt cheap at the supermarket, it’s also a cut that comes out juicy and flavorful even when you don’t spring for the extra-fatty prime-graded stuff, which can help keep a few bucks in your wallet. At my local supermarket, it runs around half the price-per-pound of a prime ribeye steaka bargain in my book.

As with any inexpensive steak , the key to success starts in trimming it properly to maximize flavor and tenderness. Here’s how to do it.

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