A year ago yesterday we posted a picture of this dish. It was a teaser because we developed the recipe for Maximum Flavor, coming out on October 8, 2013. It seemed like a no-brainer, who doesn’t love meat that is tender, flavorful, and crispy? Serving it with a touch of coffee mayonnaise and freshly charred lemon slices is possibly more Japanese than American, but then again, maybe not. All we know is that it works. It can be prepped in advance and finished to order, and the results are stellar. But sadly the recipe was cut from the manuscript. We ran out of room. But the book’s loss is your gain because we are happily putting it up here. Just imagine, if this recipe didn’t make the cut, how much cooler all the rest of them must be…
Country Fried Skirt Steak
Skirt Steak:
1 whole skirt steak (1200 grams/2.6 pounds)
320 grams/1 ½ cups kefir or plain yogurt
4.5 grams/ ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
4.5 grams/ ¾ teaspoon sugar
0.5 gram/ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 gram/ ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
0.5 grams/ ¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder
Cornflake Crumbs:
200 grams/ 6 2/3 cups cornflakes
50 grams/7 tablespoons cornstarch
1.5 grams/¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
0.5 grams/¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
0.5 grams/ ¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder
0.5 grams/ ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
0.5 grams/ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Coffee Mayonnaise:
150 grams/2/3 cup olive oil
25 grams/0.88 ounces coffee beans
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 large egg
45 grams/ 3 tablespoons cold coffee
7 grams/ ½ tablespoon brown sugar
0.25 grams/ 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 grams/ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Torched Lemon Slices:
4 lemons
To Finish:
50 grams/ 7 tablespoons cornstarch
Peanut or Canola oil for frying
1 bunch of green onion tops, sliced
Skirt Steak:
Trim any silver skin and pockets of fat from the skirt steak. Cut the skirt steak into 6 equal pieces. Cut a crosshatch pattern into both sides of the skirt steak, ¼-inch deep and ½-inch wide, being careful not to cut all the way through the steak on either side. Put the kefir, salt, sugar, cumin, garlic, and ancho chile powder into a bowl. Use a whisk to stir the mixture together. Put the skirt steak into the kefir marinade and evenly coat the steaks. Put the steaks and the marinade into a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 2 days, flipping the bag over twice a day.
Cornflake Crumbs:
Put the cornflakes, cornstarch, salt, sweet paprika, ancho chile powder, granulated garlic, and cumin into a food processor. Pulse the mixture together until it forms a coarse meal. Put the crumbs into a zip-top bag or covered container until ready to use. Put the cornflake crumbs into a shallow baking pan. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat them one at a time into the cornflake crumbs on both sides. Put the coated steaks onto a parchment-lined baking tray and put them into the freezer. When the steaks are frozen, remove them from the freezer and put them into a zip-top bag until ready to use.
Coffee Mayonnaise:
Put the coffee beans and the oil into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the beans through a fine mesh sieve; some sediment will come through. Put the strained oil into a pot on low heat and add the garlic cloves. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the garlic until it is tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put 1 egg in a small pot with enough water to cover it by 1 inch and set it over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water into the pot. Once the egg is cool enough to handle, peel the egg and put it in the blender. Remove the pan from the heat and let the garlic and oil cool. Add the coffee, brown sugar, cayenne, and salt to the blender. Turn the blender on low and increase the speed to medium-high. When the mixture is smooth, slowly pour in the coffee oil and garlic. Continue to puree until the mixture is thick and smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Torched Lemon Slices:
Cut the outer 1/2 inch off the sides of the lemons, reserving the center seeded portions for juicing. Lay the lemon slices cut-side up on a rack over a baking pan and use a butane torch to char the surface of the lemons. Put the lemons on a serving plate and reserve.
To Finish:
Heat a large iron skillet on medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, put a ½-inch of peanut oil into the bottom of the pan. Lay the frozen skirt steaks onto a cutting board and use a fine meshed strainer to sift cornstarch over both sides of the steaks. Pat the frozen steaks to remove any excess cornstarch. Put 2 steaks into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip the steaks over and cook for 2 more minutes on the second side and remove them to a cooling rack set over a baking pan. Put the steaks into a low oven 200°F/93°C to keep warm while cooking the remaining steaks. When the steaks are cooked, serve them with charred lemon sections, green onions, and coffee mayonnaise.
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