Skirt steak is a popular choice for dishes that require quick cooking over high heat, such as sizzling steak fajitas, carne asada tacos, and Asian stir fries. Taken from the diaphragm muscle of the cow, the cut is thin and has grains you can see. Slicing skirt steak against the grain is imperative to avoid tough and chewy textures. It has a rich, beefy flavor thanks to its fat content and can be enhanced with a delicious marinade. However, there is a common mistake you’ll want to avoid: letting your skirt steak marinate for too long.
Some people assume that a longer marinating time means more flavor and tenderness. That does hold true for some thicker cuts of beef or pork, which can benefit from soaking in a marinade for 24 hours or more. However, that does not apply to skirt steak. Remember those muscle fibers running through this cut? The coarse texture from those grains make skirt steak absorb marinades like a sponge, which can lead to a dish bursting with bold flavors. However, it also means that you risk the texture of the steak becoming unappetizing ly soft if you let it marinate for too long. The sweet spot is 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the thickness of your cut. Either way, you’ll definitely want to avoid marination that lasts a day or more.
What happens when a skirt steak marinates too long?
There’s a science behind why over-marinating skirt steak can ruin it. Part of the reason tougher cuts of meat, like skirt steak, can benefit from a little marinade is that it’s probably going to involve some kind of acid – think citrus juices, vinegars, even tomato juice. Acid denatures the protein in meat, making it more tender and able to absorb the flavors better.
However, if you let meat marinate for too long, those muscle fibers break down too much, which turns the meat into a horrible combination of mushy on the outside and rubbery on the inside. You also risk overpowering the natural flavor of this cut. You want the beefy goodness of the skirt steak to still shine instead of the marinade being the only thing you’re able to taste. After marination, be sure to pat your skirt steak dry. This allows the steak to get that beautiful, crusty brown sear on the outside when exposed to high heat. The bottom line here is that while marinating a skirt steak can lead to a flavorful, tender cut of meat, you’re treading a thin line.
