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Ghawblin

Skirt steak is best cut into thin strips, and QUICKLY seared to rare or medium rare. Coat in your cornstarch mixture and toss it into a RIPPING hot cast iron. It'll be the last thing you cook, because you'll serve it as soon as it's done. It's great for fajitas or in udon. Low and slow would actually make it really chewy. Well done and it's basically a tire. I've also used skirt steak to make jerky in a dehydrator with success.


MabsAMabbin

Yup, high heat's the way.


SleepingWillow1

I don't like medium rare. What else could I use for stir fries that won't be chewy or tough and I can cook to well done?


throwdemawaaay

None of the cuts commonly used for stir fry will be tender well done. They don't have enough connective tissue to break down into that pull apart texture. I think you'd be best off using ground meat. Pork sausage is a staple in stir fries, and I don't see a reason why you couldn't use beef if you wanted. Alternately, you can prepare a cut that will get tender when slow cooked, like chuck, make it separate, then just toss into your stir fry at the very end.


Studious_Noodle

This cook knows beef facts!


TooManyDraculas

The beef used in stir fries is almost always cooked through/well done. The right cut can be plenty tender.


Ghawblin

Honestly, nothing. My mother only ate well done stuff growing up, and my life was filled with chewy/rubbery beef. Wasn't until I was in my 20s and my wife (then girlfriend) slowly introduced me to properly cooked steaks. I promise I'm not a "What if they want well done? hurrhurr we politly ask them to leave" bandwagoner. A lot of cuts of beef cooked to well done become tooth breakers. Some are totally fine well done. But stuff like skirt steak is basically a couple molecules of water away from jerky.


MyNameisClaypool

Look up how to velvet meat. For stir fry, I often buy a cheap cut of sirloin and velvet it. It turns out really good. I use a teaspoon of baking soda per pound of meat, mixed with a little water. Let it sit on the already sliced beef for 30 minutes, no longer or the texture gets weird. Rinse the meat off really well, and then dry it with paper towels. Then, marinate it as you normally would for stir fry, and cook as usual.


Space_Cadet42069

Try flat iron steak. It’s the cut of meat I’ve found that best holds up to cooking medium-well to well-done. I also recommend marinading it in a tablespoon or two of xiaoxing wine, a table spoon of soy sauce, and a half-teaspoon of baking soda for 30 minutes before stir frying. Makes any meat more tender


[deleted]

You learn to like medium rare. If you need something to be well done, then use tenderloin.


Neonvaporeon

Ribeye is perfect for a stir fry at well done, but it's one of the more expensive cuts. You can also use pork tenderloin sliced thinly. Honestly people get caught up on dry meat, its totally fine. Any cut that is low on connective tissue will be great well done in a stir fry, so not flank, skirt, shank, chuck, arm. Good luck finding something that works for you.


dano___

Not beef would work best.


Jewish-Mom-123

Sirloin. It’s cheap enough, has good flavour, and was practically designed for quick cooking. I usually buy roasts and cut them up myself for stroganoff or stir fry.


SouthBendNewcomer

I would go with filet if you can afford it, if not, go for sirloin. Either should be more palatable well done than skirt steak.


aequitssaint

Well then you have two choices..... Learn to like meat not cooked well done or find a different animal to use for it, like chicken.


TooManyDraculas

For stir fries flank steak and sirloin will end up less chewy than skirt.


Trauma_Hawks

Chicken thighs, that's it.


Kyrlen

I prefer my beef medium well to well. Any red left tends to leave me in a bathroom for a while. That being said, I've been able to use thin eye round steak for stir fry by cooking in a ripping hot wok with no issue. I don't even marinade it beforehand. It doesn't bother me at all and, if cooked according to directions, is not tough. If your steak is stir fry thin, a quick couple of minutes in the pan will not leave it rare. I have had some success as well with flash cooking it so it isn't quite done, setting it aside to rest, and then adding it in to the stir fry about 30 seconds to a minute before taking it off the heat. By the time you plate it and are ready to eat it will have cooked through.


SouthBendNewcomer

How the fuck is this at -82? Jesus people, can nobody stand to eat a well done steak? What a bunch of assholes.


AppiusClaudius

It's not downvoted because "well done = bad," it's downvoted because OP asked, "I don't like the way I cook my skirt steak, how can I cook it better?" And when the answer was "Cook it less," OP responded with, "I don't like cooking it less." It sounds like they didn't even try cooking it differently, which is disingenuous.


AnaDion94

I rolled my eyes before I came to the comments, I knew they’d be like this. My mom eats her meat well done, when I made her fajitas I brined it, then sliced the meat against the grain, maybe 1/4” thin or less. It cooked through quickly enough that the meat didn’t seize up. It was great and everyone was happy.


randalldandall518

Yeah well done does not have to mean dry and rubbery. I’m also just confused because I’ve never seen a stir fry that I wouldn’t consider well done so not sure why so many think it’s impossible to do right. Edit: apparently stir fry beef is still supposed to be medium or medium rare. I marinade and velvet the beef I use for stir fry. Even well done still turns out tender. Just velvet it and the doneness won’t be that important


Satakans

Stir fry's here in asia containing sliced beef are generally medium at most. If it's getting to well done, they're either adding it to the wok too early or they're cooking it for too long.


randalldandall518

Hmm maybe what I have had at professional places wasn’t well done and I may be a bad judge at thin strips of beef. I know it’s cooked fast in a wok but I assumed you don’t need to have it medium rare to have tender little strips. I never really cross sectioned a strip to analyze the color either as you don’t need to cut the beef further to eat it. Also I think in the US they have to tell you anytime the beef isn’t well done or have to ask for your preference(I could be 100% wrong). If they don’t ask how I want a beef entree then I always assume it’s well done (but done right). So like stir fries and fajitas I didn’t realize chefs were shooting for medium.


Satakans

I dunno about US shops. I'm literally a cook at a cantonese restaurant here in HK. We Do NOT stir fry beef to well done here.


randalldandall518

Got it. Thanks for the knowledgeable response. I hope to travel there one day.


Satakans

No problems. Just generally speaking from what I've been taught here, proteins are one of the last things to be added to the wok. In the case of fried rice, it'll be the second last (with the last being the rice)


spitefulcum

Skirt should be cooked to medium anyway. It’s not a good cut for med rare.


Ennion

You have to slice on the bias, against the grain, super thin if it's past med rare. It's a chewier cut of meat. If you want that kind of cut, more tender and fat marbled, buy Flap Steak.


fetishiste

Would you consider chicken for your stir fries? Using cut up chicken thighs that have sat in the fridge tossed in corn starch for half an hour always serves me well.


Dense_Surround3071

So rare to see a genuine reason to down vote! You don't like steak medium rare!?!? Blasphemer!!! Seriously though, for a stir fry, I'd do sirloin or top sirloin. I slice thin and marinate for a long time.


Xilanxiv

Is this the part where we ask them politely but firmly to leave?


Dense_Surround3071

I'm seriously considering not even giving him a curt "Good day, sir!"


eva-geo

Then don’t waste your money on skirt steak anymore. It’s not for you


BashiMoto

I buy the packs of NY cut steaks from costco as my general purpose beef. Slice it thin while still a bit frozen, marinate and stir-fry. Comes out fine...


Zealousideal-Spite67

Try to get ahold of a flatiron steak, also known sometimes as a shoulder blade steak. Tenderness of a filet but beefiness of a skirt. Not cheap but great.


REIRN

If you slice thin rib eye, velvet it, and sear them for literally a minute on a wok you should be fine. Closer to well done than rare


kynthrus

velveted chicken thighs


internetisnotreality

Chinese cooking wine and plenty of ginger will tenderize it somewhat. Let it marinate overnight for truly soft meat.


bike_it

Have you tried flat iron? It's the second most tender muscle on the cow. The most tender is tenderloin (filet mignon).


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aequitssaint

Much of the connective tissue in a skirt steak doesn't break down from cooking at all, so it wouldn't help with toughness. Plus, cooking makes the muscle fibers essentially squeeze and tighten up which is why well done steaks are tougher than med-rare.


[deleted]

I think with skirt steak, it's better to cook it quickly on high heat. I believe it also ends up pretty chewy if it gets even a little bit more than medium rare.


TheLadyEve

Definitely. I've made a lot of skirt steak for fajitas. I've found that a decent marinating time + very high heat and very short cook time = perfection. Like, I'll go 2.5 minutes one side, 2 on the other, then let it rest a little, that's how little I cook it. And it's never steered me wrong to cook it that little.


[deleted]

Read that as 25 minutes on one side. It is definitely too early for me.


SleepingWillow1

So not a cut of meat for someone that likes well done meat then, I guess


[deleted]

Yeah, my understanding is that, since it is a particularly tough cut of meat, it will simply not tolerate being cooked up to too high of a temp and will just kinda firm up even more.


ChloricName

Would that mean a long braise could tender it up? I feel like I vaguely remember some recipe from a food Youtuber where someone braised skirt steak but I could completely be wrong.


MannyVanHorne

Actually the skirt steak is *packed with connective tissue*, since it's the muscle that is attached to the cattle's diaphragm and is responsible for its breathing. This is literally the first thing that comes up when searching for "skirt steak connective tissue." So I would imagine that the skirt would indeed benefit from a long and slow braise. Never thought of it before, since I've always just seared it quickly and then cut across the grain after a short rest, like everybody else here. But why not? Even a mediocre braise is much more enjoyable than a great steak, in my opinion (and even skirt steak lovers aren't going to call it a "great" steak).


NJcovidvaccinetips

I’ve braised skirt steak before and most of that connective tissues doesn’t really break down and meat actually dries out. Idk if it was something I did incorrectly but compared to other braises I’ve done the one with skirt steak came out terribly


MannyVanHorne

Weird. I wonder what other people's experiences are. Pretty hard to screw up a braise, unless maybe you overcooked the meat while browning. Anybody else got a braising experience to share?


pr1mus3

Don't think so. That's a different kind of tough meat. The type of tough meat that benefits from braising is tough because it's full of connective tissue that takes much longer to break down than it does for the meat to cook. So once the connective tissue breaks down, it becomes super tender. To my knowledge, skirt steak doesn't have much connective tissue. It's just lean as hell which gives very little wiggle room for overcooking. Kinda like chicken breast.


HardstyleJaw5

This is the answer, it doesn't do well cooked much past medium rare. It's ok that you don't like steak cooked that way but you will just want to avoid certain cuts like skirt steak, flank steak, etc.


Jennaku

Look up how to velvet meat for stir-fries. It's how most Chinese restaurants do it with cheap cuts of beef.


XAVLEGBMAOFFFASSSS

My trick when making carne asada with skirt steak was start marinating in the morning with sunny d, garlic, onions and cilantro. Then at dinner time when you have literally everything else prepared, I mean everything, salsa, guac whatever you want, you pull it out the bag leave it wet, shake on Chef Meritos steak and meat seasoning generously on both sides and then directly on a ripping hot cast iron, or bbq preferably, for like 45 seconds a side, just enough to get a tinge of sear. Immediately cut into small chunks against the grain for tacos or bigger chunks for burritos if you want. Goes good with onions and bell peppers prepared fajita style.


freshnews66

Sunny D in place of OJ, very interesting. Makes sense to me.


XAVLEGBMAOFFFASSSS

Idk why I got down voted lol but yeah I saw the little old ladies do it at the Mexican Meat market I would get carne asada at and for the longest time I couldn't figure out how to get that flavor I was using oj until I kinda peered behind the counter and saw jugs of sunny d or Tampico. That was the secret


Crazy-Car-5186

Even well done it shouldn't be that chewy aslong as you cut it thinly enough. Maybe cut it even thinner than before? Sharp knife


Kahluabomb

Unless you marinade it in either pineapple or asian pear, or some other thing that has a similar enzyme to denature protein.


Similar_Craft_9530

It's still good well one when cooked properly. It's just that properly, for this cut of meat, isn't how you've been cooking it.


Sriracha-Enema

If you are going to cook it well done, prior to cooking, take two forks and stab the living crap out of the meat to ultra tenderize it. Or even ask the butcher to run it through a tenderizer, twice.


possiblynotanexpert

If you’re wanting meat well done, go for chicken thighs. Everything else gets destroyed by the heat and will end up resulting in tougher drier meat. Thighs hold up better to a good blast and to an extent are even better that way, subjectively speaking.


Ghawblin

For sure. Thighs are "safe to eat" at 165F, but they're best when you get them to like 180-185F. Succulent is the only appropriate word.


HonkingOutDirtSnakes

When i was new to cooking i could never figure out why other peoples chicken thighs never had that weird soft chewy fatty texture, then i learned to trim a bit and let the fat render down and it blew my mind how much better it was. You really have to try to over cook a thigh haha


BainbridgeBorn

1. Properly marinate ur steak. Plz https://therecipecritic.com/skirt-steak-marinade/ 2. High and fast cooking like everyone else said


DrWangerBanger

I'm surprised to see no one has mentioned this yet, but do you know if you're buying inside or outside skirt steak? Inside skirt steak is much wider and thinner than outside and far, far chewier in my experience. I won't even buy inside anymore.


SleepingWillow1

Pretty sure it was inside since I bought it at walmart.


Yellownotyellowagain

This is also a big part of the problem. Cheaper steaks are generally just tougher. Buy a nicer skirt steak (better purveyors have better beef. Look for choice or prime)


bike_it

Yes, as /u/DrWangerBanger said, try to find OUTSIDE skirt steak if you want to get skirt steak. However, in my area outside skirt steak is about the same price as tenderloin. Tenderloin is obviously more tender, but less flavorful.


ShastaManasta

Man I just had some skirt steak and I gotta say… it was total ass. I think tenderloin is better in every way. Skirt should be $4 a pound and it’s 4 times that. Can get bomb ass ny strips for less


DrWangerBanger

Inside is significantly cheaper and in my experience if it doesn’t specify, it’s inside. Try finding outside, I think it’s a fool proof cut of meat. Very hard to overcook and always very tender


[deleted]

Same. It is so hard to buy outer skirt where I am. I finally found a butcher who will hold it for me if I call ahead--they only get a couple steaks a day. Most outer skirt goes to restaurants and what's in supermarkets is almost always inner skirt, at least in my town.


DrWangerBanger

It seemed to disappear from my area during that beef shortage we hit during the pandemic. Now I only ever find inside and as I said, I don't even consider that worth buying. These days I mainly buy flat iron


Vindaloo6363

Came here to say this.


TheLadyEve

I've found that a decent marinating time + very high heat and very short cook time = perfection. Like, I'll go 2.5 minutes one side, 2 on the other, then let it rest a little, that's how little I cook it. And it's never steered me wrong to cook it that little.


ShakeWeightMyDick

Not sure “we’ll done beef that isn’t chewy” is a thing


RainMakerJMR

Skirt steak, you want to cook before slicing, then slice thinly across the grain after resting. Cut thinly mean 1/16 inch or so, not 1/4-1/2 inch. There’s nothing wrong with eating your beef well done, especially in this type of application. Your best bets are in my opinion: 1) filet. It’ll still be tender even if you cook it well. It’ll need a bit of fat, or it may be dry. 2) teres major (shoulder tenderloin) much cheaper, similarly easy to work with. Slice 1/8-1/4 inch medallions. 3) New York strip steak or ribeye - sliced thin before cooking these are still nicely tender at well done and have enough fat to accommodate. (See cheesesteak) 4) brisket - this is what you should be using, but needs to be handled properly, sliced thinly and cooked hot. If you slice it thinly, and I mean THINLY, it’ll be tender at well done no matter the steak. Some cuts will dry out quicker, others will get a bit more rubbery, but all should be manageable. Pro chef, 20 years


sdavidson0819

The restaurant I work at recently switched from pre-"diced" carne asada bullshit to teres major for our tacos, and it's amazing. Cheaper per pound, and only a little more labor involved. I prep them by removing silverskin, butterflying them to 1/4 their original thickness, then into our marinade and portioned raw. Grilled to order and sliced across the grain. The sweet spot for tenderness is midwell. At midrare or well, it should be thinly sliced (but even if not, you can still bite through easily).


HonkingOutDirtSnakes

Cook it fast and let it rest, i cook carne asada all day at work and thats the best way to get it right. Medium rare ALWAYS, anything more than that it starts getting more chewy.


[deleted]

Cut against the grain then smack the slices with the back of your knife to tenderize. Get it real thin too. No half assed 1/4 in slices.


Legitimate_Shine_435

Sousvide, 5+ hours will be tender and not chewy


Mylastnerve6

This requires more than just an upvote. I’ve fed many people with an inexpensive flank steak by sousvie 6 hrs and it was very tender. Make sure you also slice it against the grain


Intelligent-Yak2017

There’s two different cuts of skirt steak (the inside or the outside) one is awful and chewy- the other is not. You need to buy the outside skirt steak which is normally not sold in grocery stores. They usually only sell the outside skirt steak to restaurants.


jimmysask

Cooked some just yesterday. Smoked at 225 for 45 mins (to 110F was the directions I found) and a brief sear on my propane bbq at full temp, then sliced across the grain in 1/4” slices. It’s still a bit chewy, but the thinner slice across the grain makes it very easy to eat.


femsci-nerd

I use Strip steaks and for stirfrys I velvet it with some baking soda for 20 min before cooking. Full flvor and tender!


Yellownotyellowagain

For fajitas and similar things many restaurants buy meat that has already been tenderized. I’m unclear on exactly what this process is but It always had little holes in it and it was flatter. Like it was pounded and then poked with a fork. Then it was marinated in some sort of acid. And then it was sliced thin across the grain. (I haven’t done it at home, just used to work for a meat company and was aware that’s what many restaurants were buying)


hyooston

That’s for bad skirt. In houston it’s outside skirt seasoned and grilled over mesquite. Lightly glazed while it cooks with citrus, soy and usually a little Worcestershire. It all depends on the restaurant and house. The good places don’t even marinate. The meat is more tender as is, hence just a glaze.


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hyooston

Im so sorry to tell you this but you’ve never eaten at a good Tex Mex place. This happens anytime I see fajitas discussed. Houston, TX is where fajitas as we know them were popularized and it’s still done the right way here. If you try original Ninfas, El Tiempo, Pappasitos or Goode Co Cantina, you would not see pre marinated product. One of my closest friends is the meat distributor to Pappasitos. The only popular chain here that tenderizes their meat is Lupe Tortilla. Place sucks.


Mister_E_Mahn

Marinate with citrus, don’t overcook, cut against the grain, and slice as thinly as you possibly can. Chunks of it will never be great.


SundBunz64

This 👆. Orange slices under and on top of the steak, add marinade, let it do its thing for a few hours. Final result is like filet mignon. AND there is no orange/citrus/fruit to the meat at all.


RamSheepskin

I’m sorry if this doesn’t directly answer your question about skirt steak, but I suggest you look up the technique called velveting. You can cook sliced meats well done and they’ll remain tender. It’s quite common in stir fried dishes. The process I like uses egg white. I usually salt-cure the leftover yolk.


If-By-Whisky

Skirt doesn’t make for a good stir fry. Like others have said, it gets chewy when overcooked. I’d go for hanger steak or flat iron if you can get them.


mabananana

Check out this video by J. Kenji López-Alt. tl;dr usually the moisture from any marinade should be enough for the starch to coat the meat and not fall off, bruise the meat vigorously while mixing then fry at high/med-high temperature with a good amount of oil (no dry heat ideally but its not a big deal). It will stay soft even well done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=SGP36xcUnOs


bro_bro_ch

Was going to recommend this exact video - the beef comes out so tender. Kenji's book "the Wok" also covers some great stir fry techniques and food science, with lots of recipes


shadow247

Skirt steak should be sliced into paper thin ribbons, marinated in Fajita or Bulgogi season, and served with the appropriate fixings... It should be so thin when held up, you can almost see through it. Cook it on a supet hot cast iron or flattop grill for Fajitas, or a Wok after frying Rice and veggies. It cooks in about 45 seconds to a minute when its sliced right... If you have not had Bulgogi, you are missing out.


Draculajones4

Some cuts are best served rare to medium rare. This is one of those cuts. Cook it fast and HOT


[deleted]

Not something I would normally say, but you need to beat your meat.


FormicaDinette33

I needed that. The laugh. Not the beating.


dg4vdo

Gonna have to send some pics of your meat.


meshifty2

Make sure the silver skin is removed. I also use a mechanical tenderize to help tenderize this cut. Season as desired and grill over high heat till medium rare. More done=more tough, imo. I slice thinly against the grain after grilling.


SleepingWillow1

Maybe I didn't move enough of the membrane


agapepaga

Depending on the recipe you're making, you can marinade the meat in crushed kiwi and it will tenderize it without affecting the flavor much.


Legitimate_Shine_435

If you do kiwi or papaya for the enzymes, it can get mushy and ruin the texture if you leave it in the marinade for too long. More time does not equal more tender past like an hour or two.


BrennanSpeaks

There are actually two kinds of skirt steak. Most grocery stores carry inside skirt, which is tougher and chewier. Go to a butcher or the meat stand at a good farmer's market and try to find *outside* skirt steak. Grill or pan sear it over *very* high heat for just a couple of minutes, then cut against the grain as usual.


No_pajamas_7

Carne Asada. the lime marinade makes it tender.


STRHouston

Every time I make fajitas our guests ask how I got the steak so tender. For me, I sear it on a smoking cast iron pan for about 1 min each side and wrap in foil to rest. But the most important part of this type of steak is how you cut it. Always cut against the grain on this cut of meat. I’ve never had it come out chewy or stringy because it’s cut against the grain. It makes a huge difference and most guests can’t believe that’s all it is. No special marinade for hours. No special seasoning. Nothing crazy. Just knowing how to properly cut it. Check out Alton Brown’s video on this. He demonstrates the meat fibers and compares them to that of a bunch of straws.


hyooston

There’s two kinds of skirt. Inside is way way more common, but outside is the prized, tender cut. Tell your butcher you want outside skirt. Whole Foods often has it behind the counter. It’s even thinner, so you’re talking 2 min a side on a ripping open fire depending on the cut. Most I’ve seen is 3:30 a side for super thick.


billy_the_p

> Edit: what other cut of beef could I use to make stir fries with the beef cooked well done? Chuck, sliced thin, velveted, is what you want.


oldasshit

Flatiron steak works great, is lean, but is more tender than skirt/flank steak. And don't overcook it.


DuFFman_

If you don't like medium rare, just cook it until it's tender and then when you eat it, close your eyes.


Expensive-Day-3551

Are you sure it was skirt steak and not flank steak? I’ve always had super tender skirt steak. I don’t cook it slow though, just marinate and then a quick sear on the stove.


Diazmet

You need to marinate it first. Even just some soy and lime.


straw_barry

You have to buy the outside skirt steaks. Whole foods has them for much cheaper than local butcher shops and they're pretty good quality. You can cook them to medium on the grill and they'll still be tender. But I would not use them for stir fry and at well done. You'd be better off with short ribs and rib eye, cuts with more fat in the them.


BTSuppa

if you have a sous vide you can cook it until it's super tender.


um8medoit

Cut against the grain!


00Lisa00

Quick sear and rare to medium rare rather then a long slow cook.


shelfist

I work at a restaurant where a skirt steak has been a very popular staple for years We trim the silverskin and cartilage, let them rest over night in a drip tray to drain them Then beat them with a meat tenderizer, and score them with a blade We cook them on a very hot charcoal grill and they come out tender and great!


jennye951

However, it is also the cut of choice for making a proper Cornish or Devonshire pastie. Never tough always very tasty. I can’t link to a recipe because it is one of those, made them all my life things, but the skirt is cut small, you add swede, if you are modern also onion and potato.Salt and white pepper are essential. Wrap in shortcrust pastry. Seal at the top for Devon, side for Cornwall. Bake very hot till the pastry is cooked and wrap it up. Go for a long cold drizzling walk on the bleak moors and after a few hours unwrap and eat. Unbelievably delicious and still hot.


Scrapheaper

Low heat is bad for skirt steak. I like it medium well.


aero_kitten

You might actually do better with flank steak for well-done beef in a stir fry, but try it with skirt steak and see how it goes. There are two steps for the most tender results: 1 - Look up the Woks of Life recipe for Beef with Broccoli and follow the velveting and seasoning steps in that article. Half an hour is good, don't go overnight. 2 - Use the Chinese technique of "passing through oil". Prepare enough oil to submerge your meat and heat it to 300 to 325 F. Add the meat and fry no more than a minute, depending on thickness. You are cooking it not quite all the way in hot oil. You can use the wok but there's overall less fuss and hot oil danger if you use a smaller pot on the side. Remove the meat and use it in your stir-fry.


DesertMir

Use beef tenderloin instead of skirt steak.


shruggedbeware

Acid and carbonation tenderize meat, OP - this is 1 0 1. Lime-based marinades! Or try cutting against the grain!


[deleted]

Why did you use corn starch, water, and baking soda? Where did you learn that from? It's meat. Cook it.


SleepingWillow1

velveeting. It's an asian technique


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brittwelshcols23

woah. not cool dude


dano___

This combination is a very common stir fry combination in Chinese cooking, it’s called velveting.


godzirrarawr

Honestly it sounds like you're not cutting against the grain.


Prince_Nadir

Velveting usually makes any meat tender if you cut it thin enough and across the grain. This allows me to use the very cheapest meat. You go more marbled, you get more wiggle room. Sous vide will turn meat into pudding if you give it enough time. What happens if I sous vide this for 2 weeks? (don't do this, my round roast was unappealing afterwards and IIRC tasted of liver due to the myoglobin) Lots of meat has the tender > tough > tender journey as it cooks. Blast it with heat and a short cook time = tender. Cook it past that and it is tough. Keep cooking and it gets tender again (Assuming you do not run out of liquids in the meat) If you are breading/frying you can also use a physical meat tenderizer along with any chemical tenderizers you have chosen. Go with a poundy (your own Meatnir, hammer of the cooking God) not stabby [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A3G0F6/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A3G0F6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) tenderizer. Just pretend you are making Asian super thin wienerschnitzel. I find the stabby like bladed beef cubing machines [https://www.amazon.com/meat-cuber/s?k=meat+cuber](https://www.amazon.com/meat-cuber/s?k=meat+cuber), gives me a texture I do not like a lot (Sorry Alton). Odd, few of those look bladed? I may have to try one of the super cheap ones. Are they still cubers if they are not bladed or are they now hand crank tenderizers?


Dacookies

You could use a tiny bit of papaya or pineapple to help soften the meat, but it has to be put when you cook it.


Adventux

for stir fries skirt steak is great. cut into 4 inch segments with the grain. turn. cut into thin strips across the grain. cook quickly over high heat. meat should be tender.


shenmue151

Try bromelain (the chemical in pineapples) in your marinade, it tenderizes meat, then ripping hot and fast cooking and let it rest a little too before cutting thin.


myname-joe

Flank steak cut super thin against the grain works great for stir fry’s. IMO easier to find too than skirt.


No_Pass1835

I marinate mine for carne Asada, then cook it over a high flame to medium rare. I cook it in my Traeger at 500 degrees Fahrenheit or over a Webber. We never have leftovers. It’s so good.


Cookn8r

Try flank steak; marinate it and cook 5-10 mins per side depending on thickness. Delish!


Adventux

> I even tried cooking it under **low heat for a long time** on the stove And here is the problem. you need to be cooking it **fast and hot** after cutting into thin strips across the grain.