skirt steak

Beef Cuts
Beef cut:	Plate
Steak type:	Skirt steak
also known as: Romanian tenderloin; Philadelphia steak; Arrachera (Mx).

The term skirt steak refers to two cuts of beef steak, one from the plate and one from the flank. Both are long, flat cuts that are prized for flavor, but are tougher than many other steak cuts. Both types of skirt steaks are used identically.

In the United States, the NAMP (North American Meat Processors Association) designates all skirts steaks with the meat-cutting classification 121 (NAMP 121).^[1] NAMP 121 is subdivided into the outer (outside) skirt steak (NAMP 121C) and the inner (inside) skirt steak (NAMP 121D).

The outside skirt steak is the trimmed, boneless portion of the diaphragm muscle, which is attached to the 6th through 12th ribs on the underside of the short plate. This steak is covered in a tough membrane that should be removed before cooking.

The inside skirt steak is a trimmed, boneless portion of the flank. Inside skirt steaks are trimmed free of fat and membranes.

Use

A Tlayuda in Oaxaca, Mexico served con falda, topped with a piece of grilled skirt steak.

Skirt steak is the cut of choice for making fajitas ("little belts" or "sashes" in Spanish), the Northern Mexican arrachera dish, Cornish pasties and Chinese stir-fry.

Because skirt steaks are one of the tougher cuts of meat, they are either cooked very quickly (often grilled or pan-seared) or they are cooked very slowly (generally braised). Skirt steaks have a very strong graining; for maximum tenderness, slice them across the grain. Skirt steaks are often marinated for additional flavor.

References

See also

• Churrasco