Beer-Marinaded Grilled Skirt Steak With Cilantro Gremolata

15 minutes 4 portions

One of the most effective ways to tenderize your meat is by using beer. Beer contains acids and tannins that help break down fibers in meat, making it more tender and flavorful. To make this happen you can simply soak the meat in beer alone or add the beer while you are cooking the steak. Marinate the steak for 15-30 minutes before grilling and you will experience another level of flavor.

Salt and pepper are needed too, but you can also add soy sauce, ginger and scallions to enjoy an Asian flavor, or thyme, oregano or zaatar to have a Mediterranean experience, or simply follow my recipe to add a latin (Mexican) touch to it.

Recipe

For the steak:
2 pounds of skirt steak
1/2 cup beer (bold pale, IPA or stout)
2 cloves of minced garlic or powder garlic, to taste
Guajillo or Ancho Chile Powder, to taste (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the gremolata:
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, minced (or parsley)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

For the gremolata, add the olive oil to a pan in medium heat temperature. Then add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds, add the lemon and cook for 20 more seconds, add the cilantro or parsley, salt, pepper and immediately remove from the heat and serve. Another option is to combine all ingredients and serve them right away. Roasted preserved peppers can be added too.
For the meat, lightly sprinkle the steaks with salt, pepper, fresh minced garlic (or powder) , chile powder, a splash of beer and let them marinate for a few minutes, no more than 30 minutes.
Place them on a very hot grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Remove the steaks to a plate to rest.
Slice the steak and serve over greens, veggies, rice or couscous and spoon some gremolata over the steaks. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side. If you are cooking the skirt steak on a pan, you can also sear the steak on high heat on both sides first, then add a splash of beer and wait until it evaporates. Then serve. This way will be even juicier.

Doreen Colondres

Our house founder is a passionate chef with a profound love for wine. She is an active media personality who is WSET Level 3 certified, a certified Sake Sommelier and a tireless world traveler. Working hard to live through her passions for cooking and educating others, Doreen Colondres is also the creator of The Kitchen Doesn’t Bite and the author of the Amazon’s Best Seller, La Cocina No Muerde, published by Penguin Random House.