How-To Guides

How to Cook Outside Skirt Steak

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Two raw outside skirt steaks on a wooden board, showing marbling and open grain

What Is Outside Skirt Steak?

How to Cook Outside Skirt Steak: Outside skirt steak is a thin, richly marbled, open-textured strip of beef taken from the flank, specifically from the short rib plate on the outside of the carcass. This gives the cut its name.

Though lesser known in the UK, it’s a classic butcher’s cut: full of flavour, tender when cooked correctly, and exceptional value. In Argentina, where it’s known as entraña, outside skirt steak is highly prized and often grilled over the glowing embers of an asado.

Whether seared quickly over high heat or grilled slowly over coals, outside skirt steak offers deep beef flavour and a satisfying chew, making it a standout choice for steak lovers and barbecue enthusiasts alike.

How Long to Cook Outside Skirt Steak

Outside skirt steak is a thin cut, so it cooks quickly and is ideal when you want maximum flavour with minimal fuss. Best served medium-rare, it typically needs just 5 to 6 minutes in total.

Start by heating a heavy-based pan or skillet until smoking hot. Sear the steak for 90 seconds to 2 minutes on each side to develop a deep, caramelised crust. Then reduce the heat slightly, add a knob of butter and baste for another minute or so, turning once more.

This method ensures the fat renders gently, the outside develops colour and the inside stays tender and juicy. Rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain to maximise tenderness.

Whether cooked indoors or over hot coals, outside skirt steak delivers exceptional beef flavour with very little effort.

What Temperature Do You Cook Outside Skirt Steak?

The most reliable way to cook outside skirt steak is with a meat thermometer. For a perfect medium-rare finish, aim for a final internal temperature of 52 to 53°C after resting.

To achieve this, remove the steak from the pan when it reaches around 40°C. The residual heat will continue to cook the steak as it rests, bringing it to the ideal temperature without overcooking.

How to Cook Outside Skirt Steak

  1. Remove the outside skirt steaks from the fridge and packaging, then allow them to come up to room temperature.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet or quality frying pan over high heat and add a small splash of oil. Once the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the steaks and cook for 90 seconds on one side. Flip and repeat on the other.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and add two knobs of butter. Let the butter foam and brown, then baste the steaks continuously for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds. Keep an eye on the temperature; if the butter gets too hot it will burn, but if it cools too much it will stop foaming.
  4. If using a thermometer, remove the steaks when they reach 40°C. Set aside on a warm plate, pour over the pan butter, and leave to rest for at least 8 minutes.
  5. Once rested, carve against the grain and serve immediately.

Top Tips for Cooking Outside Skirt Steak

  • Get your pan hot at the start to achieve a deep, caramelised crust. Once you add the butter, reduce the heat to medium or low so it foams and browns without burning.
  • For a more traditional approach, take inspiration from Argentina. Season simply with salt and pepper, cook quickly over glowing coals, and finish with chimichurri spooned generously over the top.
  • Always rest the steak for at least 8 minutes after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute and ensures a tender, evenly cooked result.
  • Carve against the grain. Outside skirt has a pronounced grain, so slicing across it is essential for a tender bite.
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you’re cooking multiple steaks, do so in batches to maintain the high heat needed for a proper sear.
  • Pat the steaks dry before cooking. Surface moisture can prevent a good crust from forming.

Outside Skirt Steak Recipe Ideas

Try George Ryle’s Outside Skirt Steak Recipe with Shallot Purée and Onion Rings. A simple, flavour-packed way to showcase this underrated cut. Sweet, silky shallots meet rich, beefy steak, with the added crunch of crisp onion rings for good measure.

Order meat online

For 15 years, George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and spent five years as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. He earned praise for his simple, thoughtful cooking, with dishes rooted in the classics and always respectful of the ingredients.

In 2021, George realised a long-held ambition with the release of his first cookbook, A Year in the Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, guiding readers through the British seasons, showcasing native produce and encouraging creativity year-round.

In 2022, George left London and returned to his native Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cooking and respect for quality British ingredients have remained central to his work. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, open to new opportunities and always following his heart.

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@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
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@swaledalebutchers
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@swaledalebutchers
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Follow
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A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
@swaledalebutchers
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A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
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@swaledalebutchers
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•
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@swaledalebutchers
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We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
1 month ago
761
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7/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
A while back we had the pleasure of visiting @petea25 at the @cantonarms Arms, where we spoke about their ever evolving menu, a place that is not afraid to cook things until they are gone and then move on to something new. We saw how they treated the Swaledale pork chop, and it told you everything you needed to know. Cooked with care, handled properly, and full of flavour. It was, simply, delicious.
1 month ago
38110
View on Instagram |
8/8