Cinco de Mayo Skirt Steak Adobo

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here’s an easy, healthy recipe that is a snap on the grill.

Skirt steak became the darling of the beef world in recent years because of its affordability and full flavor. Not the most tender of cuts because it is so lean, it is important to cook it hot and fast to seal in what juices it has.

Recipe: Cinco de Mayo Skirt Steak Adobo

Adobo PasteEvery family makes their Adobo a little differently. It really can be any spice mixture and oil, sometimes vinegar, to marinate a piece of meat. This paste is made of olive oil, 1 tablespoon each cumin, coriander, and chili powder, plus 1 teaspoon each of dried ground garlic, kosher salt and turmeric.

Step-by-step

1. Generously rub paste all over skirt steak. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour to let paste set into the meat.

2. Pre-heat gas grill on high, or make a hot charcoal fire with three layers of charcoal.

3. Once grill is fully hot, place skirt steak in center for about five minutes, then flip for another five minutes, then flip again for 1-2 minutes on each side. I know I often say “flip only once!” but skirt steak and other really hot and fast grilled meats are the exception.

4. Pull skirt steak while it is still rare or just a shade past and let it rest a good 10 minutes to medium rare. An easy way to rest meat on a gas grill is to simply turn off the heat and rest meat on the upper rack, if you have one.

5. Slice on the diagonal and serve with Mexican Rice (recipe follows), a simple salad, tortillas and your favorite salsa.
Mexican Rice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced
2 cups of rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup salsa
Additional spices if you like it hot
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Get your pot hot, add oil (hot pan, cold oil!). Once hot, saute onion until clear. Add rice and stir a few times. Add chicken stock and salsa, stir.

Turn down to simmer and put a tight fitting lid. If your lid isn’t tight, you can wrap a towel around it and tie it on top. Right before you serve, sprinkle in some Parmesan.

Tip: Get rice really close to done before you grill the skirt steak so it can all come up at once for dinner.