Brazilian Skirt Steak with Golden Garlic Butter

https://ninth.recipes/recipes/brazilian-skirt-steak-with-golden-garlic-butter

Ingredients

1 1 / 2 pounds skirt steak

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon parsley

1 small lime

Steps

Step 1

Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat it bone-dry with paper towels. Rub the oil all over the meat, then coat generously with the coarse salt. Skirt steak has a coarse grain; the large salt crystals get trapped in those ridges, creating a beautiful crust.

Step 2

Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy grill pan over high heat until it is smoking slightly. Lay the steak in the pan. Sear for 3–4 minutes per side. Because skirt steak is thin, you want a very hot pan to get a dark char without overcooking the inside. Aim for medium-rare (130∘F to 135∘F or 54∘C to 57∘C). Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Step 3

While the steak rests, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic. Cook for 3–5 minutes, swirling constantly. Watch closely! The garlic will turn from pale to golden brown very quickly. As soon as the garlic is golden and crisp, remove from heat. Stir in the parsley and lime juice.

Step 4

This is the most important part of the recipe. Skirt steak has very long, distinct fibers. Look at the direction the lines are running, then rotate the steak and slice perpendicular to those lines.

Step 5

Arrange the slices on a platter and pour the hot Golden Garlic Butter (including all the crispy garlic chips) directly over the meat.

Footnote

Resting the steak allows the juices to redistribute. If you cut it immediately, the juice (and the butter) will just run off the plate. By slicing the garlic into chips rather than mincing it, you get "pops" of toasted flavor rather than a sharp, raw bite. Skirt steak has more fat marbling than flank steak, which is why it stands up so well to the rich butter treatment.

What makes this dish special?

This recipe is a tribute to the churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) style of cooking. What makes it special is the Golden Garlic Butter, which uses a technique called confit-frying. Instead of just melting butter, you slowly toast slivers of garlic in it until they become crispy "chips." When this garlic-infused butter hits the hot, rested skirt steak, it seeps into the long muscle fibers, creating a rich, savory crust that balances the intense, beefy flavor of the cut.