There is nothing that I love better than a good steak. When I was perusing through my Gourmet Magazines last weekend I found this one that caught my eye. I was not only interested in trying it because reading the recipe made me drool, but it is a 10 minute main dish. Really? It is quick, but 10 minutes I don’t think so. The side dish also was different. Pesto sauce can add a good flavor and I was interested to see what it would do to two of my favorite vegetables corn and beans. The original recipe calls for haricots verts, but my CSA box provided me with just plain green beans which were larger than haricots verts.
Skirt steak is new to me. When shopping I had a good discussion with the butcher about how to cook it as well as cut it. Gourmet did not say to marinate it and when mentioning this to the butcher he raised his eyebrow and looked puzzled. He said, ” Mam, I really don’t think you should cook this without marinating.” I went with his advice. It was a very good idea. He suggested using salsa or an Italian dressing. I decided to use Cile’s Marinade that I use for flank steak. Skirt steak is similar to flank steak, but much thinner and longer. Marinades only penetrate about 1/4 inch or so of the meat making skirt steak perfect for the marinade. Cut the steak across the grain which will break up the connective tissue making it easier to chew. Cost wise it is about $2.50 a serving which is not too bad. Another good thing about this steak is that it can be prepared in a skillet.
There are essential ingredients that should be on hand so that you can throw a great meal together without even thinking. If everyone would do this we could put the fast food industry out on its last leg. Think about it. I grew up in a small town where we did not have endless possibilities for dinner. My mother shopped once a week and we never ate out.
The Teacher Cooks 