Beef Skirt cooking temps?

[texomakid]

I've done a few of these but for some reason the last one I cooked was tough. I did a reverse sear - it was in the Yoder for about 1 1/2 hours getting smoke then I threw it on the gas grill for a quick sear. IT was in the 130 range when I finished. I thought it would be perfect but it was chewy. Flavor & color were really good but I'm trying to figure out if I need to cook it longer? So what do y'all suggest? I know there has to be some skirt meat veterans out there? Do I cook it longer or was this meat from an old milk cow?

Heck I just looked and I actually took a photo of this tough skirt.

 

[Sowsage]

Man you sure wouldnt guess tough and chewy from the picture....For me I dont fool around with a reverse sear on that cut. Normally they are so thin I just put them over a screaming hot grill until I get to the 130° mark ......let rest and slice against the grain. I will say maybe the membrane was not trimed off? I usually have to do that. They are kind of like the membrane on the back if ribs.

 

[TNJAKE]

I'm with Travis. I do skirt steak alot. It's a nightmare to trim but getting all silverskin off is a must. I grill hot

This is what my last one looked like trimmed. Make sure to cut across the grain with these or they will definitely be tough to bite

 

[D.W.]

Did you put it on cold? Skirt rare-med/rare is always tender. The silver skin will make a portion of the bite tough but not the whole steak. Maybe it was just a bad cut tbh.

 

[Sowsage]

Check this out....direct cook right on the coals...pretty cool stuff from Alton Brown .

Good Eats Raising The Steaks Highlights

Watch Good Eats Raising The Steaks Highlights from Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com

 

[texomakid]

Thanks all for the replies and suggestions. I cooked another one basically using the same technic and I had a much different experience with this skirt. I had it in the Yoder for about 1 1/2 hours for some smoke and pulled it around 115. It was actually perfect after the sear and it was cooked to 135 IT. Plenty juicy with great flavor and it was tender enough for a skirt. Hey, I get a bad cut every once in a while.

 

[-=PEAKABOO=-]

If available loin flap meat makes the best fajitas IMHO.

 

[tallbm]

I always find skirt steak to be tough so I avoid it in favor of Flank steak.

If I mess with a skirt steak, no matter what I'm marinating it in some real pinapple juice and/or some cirtrus juices so they can tenderize the meat (how fajitas came to be).
The other approach I would take would be to do like TNJAKE does.

I never see a good cut of skirt steak around here they always look horrible to the point of where if I were to trim then I would end up with a bunch of little skirt steak pieces cause the bad tissue is not on the surface but ingrained all throughout the meat :(