Skirt Steak advice

I plan on rolling/stuffing a skirt steak for the grill. Since this will make it thicker as a whole (steak and stuffing) will I need to secondary grill this to make sure the inside is done or is skirt steak thin enough I can direct grill it?

Yes - skirt steak is thin enough to direct grill. The question that I have is what are you stuffing it with? If the stuffing items need to be cooked themselves, then you may opt for indirect grilling (I assume that this is what you mean when you say "secondary" grilling) If the stuffing itself is already cooked than you may go with the direct method. I usually do both. I will sear the outside of the steak to what I believe is the proper texture/color, and then use the indirect method to bring the item to the desired serving temperature. In summary, it all depends on if the stuffing is raw or already prepared. Hope this helps.


Chris

Thanks Chris. I am not stuffing it with any meats. I thought I'd use gorgonzola, asparagus and either sliced onion or green onions. So those items just need to be warmed.

And yes, oops, I meant indirect grilling. Thought I'd try my mesquite chips with it. I am only a beginner with indirect grilling.

Also, because the cut is so long, I thought I'd cut it in half to make two rolls, otherwise it would be an awfully fat roll don't you think?

That's why I thought I'd have to indirect grill, because I thought after rolling it, it would be about 4 or 5 inches in diameter even if I pound it a little thin.

I read the recipe in Steve's book, wherehe mentions if he indirect grills a matambre he direct grills it the last 20 minutes to crisp up the outside. Skirt steak is thinner than flank so maybe I wouldn't need 20 minutes.

What doyou think?

P.S. Using a Charbroil Big Easy 3 burner.

Oop.s Forgot to log in for my reply.That was me above. Also, any advice on why my wood chips catch fire after awhileon medium heat?

For the chips, soak the wood for at least an hour beforehand. If you are using a gas grill, put the chips in a aluminum foil pouch with a few holes punched in it (or use a smoker box). Place the pouch next to the hot burner, set on high until the smoke develops, then adjust the heat to the cooking temperature that you wish. You may also wish to invest in a smoker box, I use one on my charcoal grill as well- I believe that it produces long lasting smoke instead of directly applying the wood chips to the charcoal because I get the same results of the chips catching fire. As for the steak, there is no rule that you need to cook the steak as a hole, so cutting it in half is ok- as long as you do so beforehand so as not to loose any desired juice. After the steak is cooked, make sure you let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before you cut into it so that the meat has a chance to regain its moisture. Enjoy!

Chris

Thanks. I wrapped it in foil instead, like the How to Grill recipe, nice and crispy outside. I will try smoking soon tho. I read on another site a guy uses the smoker box as well. It is $ at Home depot. Heis burned to fast as well and he thought it allowed toomuch air so covers the top in foil and puts four little holes in it.

I'll try it out.

what is a skirt steak?

Skirt Steak = Fajitas

Skirt steak is actually the diaphragm muscle, cut from the underside of the cow. It is usually long and thin, has a lot of flavor but can be very tough at times. Like someone said above, it is ideal for fajitas! I also like to marinate it in a terriyaki and then throw it on the grill. Hope this helps!

I've also pierced the steak all over with a fork on both sides to tenderize it a bit. I've had it without doing this also but it is more tender if it's done. I also generally marinate it 24 hours in a soy sauce based mixture.

Witht the skirt steak rolls I will cut the steak into smaller pieces so that I am able to roll the steak (with the stuffing) 2 full times. This will give you more smaller rolls, but I like it because it shortens the cooking time and also will give a crisper outside and nice and hot inside without burning the outside.