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Tim Love's Skirt Steaks: True "Cowboy Cooking"

Chef Tim Love's "urban Western cooking" is catching on from coast to coast.

And on "The Early Show" Monday, he served up three mouth-watering recipes for one of his favorite cuts of meat - the skirt steak - demonstrating "cowboy cooking" at its finest!

A well-cooked steak is one of the signs of a great chef, and nobody does it better than Love, executive chef and owner of the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and the Love Shack, both in Fort Worth, Texas.

Skirt steak is one of the tastiest and most affordable cuts of steak (about $9.99/lb.), but also one of the easiest to overcook and ruin.

There are two ways to cook the skirt steak: to marinate it for a long time to tenderize it, then cook it for a longer time over lower heat, or to crank up the heat and sear it for just a few minutes on each side.

On the show, Love focused on the latter.

"Early Show" recipes galore!

FOOD TERMS

Skirt Steak: Cut from the beef flank, the skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle (which lies between the abdomen and chest cavity). It's a long, flat piece of meat that's flavorful but rather tough. Properly cooked, skirt steak can be quite tender and delicious. It can either be quickly grilled, or stuffed, rolled and braised. Recently, skirt steak has become quite fashionable because of the delicious Southwestern dish, fajitas. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

Roulade: The French term for a thin slice of meat rolled around a filling such as mushrooms, bread crumbs, cheese or a mixture of vegetables and cheese or meat. The rolled package is usually secured with string or a wooden pick. A roulade is browned before being baked or braised in wine or stock. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

Fajitas: Skirt steak that has been marinated in a mixture of oil, lime juice, red pepper and garlic before being grilled. The cooked meat is cut into strips that are then usually wrapped (burrito-style) in warm tortillas, accompanied by a variety of garnishes including grilled onions and sweet peppers, guacamole, refried beans and salsa. (Source: Food Lover's Companion)

RECIPES

Skirt Steak Roulade

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds outside skirt steak
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese
2 cups loose pack spinach
1/2 cup roasted poblano peppers, diced
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 lemon, sliced in half
5 skewers, soaked in water
3 feet of butcher twine, soaked in water
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper

METHOD:
Heat grill to 350°F.
Clean all exterior fat and silver skin from the steak. Lay the steak out flat and using a flat mallet place a Ziploc bag on steak and with medium force tenderize the meat until it is approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.
Mix cream cheese and goat cheese together and spread on the meat. Sprinkle the poblano peppers on the cheese and then top with the spinach.
Roll the steak short ways into a pinwheel, fasten with a skewer, and then tie like a roast. Season outside of the roulade with salt and pepper.
Place a cast iron flat top on the grill and drizzle it with peanut oil. Place the roulade spiral side down. Cook for 4 minutes per side for every inch thick. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
Place in the oven for 6 minutes until the center reaches 140°F. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, remove the twine and slice with a very sharp knife. Serve as a spiral.

For the other two recipes, go to Page 2.

Skirt Steak Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:
For Marinade:
2 pounds prime skirt steak, cleaned
2 white onions, julienne
2 red peppers, julienne
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 Tablespoon lime zest
1 Tablespoon toasted cumin
1 Tablespoon guajillo chili powder
3 garlic cloves, sliced extremely thin

To finish
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 lemons, sliced in half
Soft tortillas

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients for marinade, except for the steak, in a large Ziploc bag and shake vigorously. Add the steak and shake again making sure everything is well coated. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Prepare the grill to at least 400°F surface temperature. Remove meat from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a 400°F grill for 4 minutes per side. While cooking, drain off oil from marinade and place all ingredients in a hot cast iron skillet and season with salt and pepper. Continuously stir the vegetables until slightly limp. About 8 minutes. Finish steak and veggies at the same time with lemon juice. Remove steak and let rest for 10 minutes and slice against the grain. Top with hot vegetables and serve with your favorite fixins.

Salt and Pepper Skirt Steak

INGREDIENTS:
One 16 ounce skirt steak
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Lemon
Olive Oil

METHOD:
Bring steak to room temperature. Brush with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Sear on high heat for 1 minute on each side. Remove and rest for at least 10 minutes. Finish in a 400°F oven to desired temperature. Slice across the grain. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.

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