Smoky mezcal-marinated skirt steak full of fresh citrus and spicy serrano flavor, served with a grilled pineapple & tomato salsa alongside. Bright, bold, and flavorful…this is a healthy and vibrant recipe you can make all spring and summer long!
I’m so excited to be heading into the warmer months and starting to share new grilling recipes with you! While it’s still the perfect time for all things spring (have you made this strawberry galette or spring pea risotto yet?), I’m definitely one to start grilling as soon as possible.
I absolutely love grilled vegetables as a simple side dish or grilling off a bunch of chicken to have on hand all week long. It’s the cooking technique that provides such amazing, rich flavor to food with very minimal effort.
So to kick things off, I’m bringing you this mezcal-marinated skirt steak with grilled pineapple salsa!
mezcal-marinated skirt steak – the details
You’ll start by mixing up the marinade – a simple mix of fresh citrus, smoky mezcal, garlic, a serrano chile for heat, and salt. The skirt steak marinates for just an hour and soaks in all of that fresh flavor.
If you’ve never cooked with skirt steak, I could not recommend it more. It’s an inexpensive cut of meat similar to flank steak, but in my opinion much more tender and flavorful. Usually fairly thin, it doesn’t take long to cook at all. But, that does mean you’ll want to watch it closely and make sure not to overcook it.
After the hour mark, I like to continue to let the skirt steak sit in the marinade at room temperature in order to take the chill off before grilling.
While the skirt steak is marinating, whip up the pineapple salsa so it’s ready to go.
You’ll grill roma tomatoes, pineapple, green onions, and a serrano chile until slightly charred and tender, giving the salsa plenty of rich flavor to go along with the meat. A little garlic, cilantro, and lime juice are all you need to finish it off!
If you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with this mezcal-marinated skirt steak, here are a few:
Coconut Chile Rice
Charred Mexican Salad with Pistachio Cumin Vinaigrette
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Lime Yogurt Sauce
Mezcal-Marinated Skirt Steak with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
mezcal-marinated skirt steak served with a grilled pineapple & tomato salsa
servings: 4
Ingredients
Mezcal-Marinated Skirt Steak
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 tsp lime zest
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ cup mezcal
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 serrano chile, minced
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ lbs skirt steak
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Grilled Pineapple Salsa
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- ¾ lb roma tomatoes
- ½ small pineapple, peeled + sliced ¼” lengthwise (approximately 3 large slices)
- 2 green onions
- 1 serrano chile
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
Mezcal-Marinated Skirt Steak
- Add the orange zest, lime zest, orange juice, lime juice, mezcal, garlic, serrano chile, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Submerge the skirt steak in the marinade. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Bring the bowl out and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the grill over medium-high heat.
- Lightly oil the grill. Grill the skirt steak for about 3 minutes, or until a nice crust forms. Flip and continue to cook to your desired doneness, about 3 more minutes for medium.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve with the grilled pineapple salsa (recipe below).
Grilled Pineapple Salsa
- Coat the roma tomatoes, pineapple slices, greens onions, and serrano chile very lightly in olive oil. Season well with salt.
- Grill until all of the ingredients are slightly charred and tender (about 3-4 minutes per side for the tomatoes and 2-3 minutes per side for the pineapple, green onions, and serrano). Transfer to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Dice the tomatoes, dice the pineapple (discarding the tough core center of each slice), slice the green onions, and mince the serrano.
- Combine everything in a bowl with the garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Serve the salsa warm or at room temperature.
shop the dish: mezcal-marinated skirt steak with charred pineapple salsa
Any alternate suggestions for Mezcal?
Tequila
This marinade looks absolutely fantastic! Any suggestions for side dish alternatives? I am allergic to pineapples and mangoes, so I can’t think of a good replacement.