Skirt
A long, thin, loosely grained steak with some of the strongest beef flavour on the animal. It cooks in minutes.
- Also called
- Skirt steak
- Section
- Plate
- Fat
- Moderate
- Best cooked
- Very hot and very fast, then slice thinly
- Best doneness
- Medium rare
Tap a section to explore its cuts.
Chuck
The shoulder. Hard working muscle and rich flavour, where the short ribs begin.
Rib
The richest marbling on the animal, and the home of the scotch fillet.
Striploin
Along the back. Firm, beefy steaks with a fat cap down one edge.
Tenderloin
Tucked under the loin, doing almost no work. The most tender cut there is.
Rump
The hip. Big beef flavour for the price, and a favourite on the grill.
Plate
Below the ribs. Loose grained, intensely flavoured and quick to cook.
- SkirtAlso called Skirt steakYou are here
Flank
The belly behind the plate. Lean, long grained steaks made for a marinade and a hot grill.
Round
The hind leg. Lean, hard working muscles such as topside and silverside, used for roasts and corned beef.
Shank
The hind leg from below the round to the knee. Very lean and tough, so it is slow cooked or minced rather than served as a steak.
What is skirt steak?
Skirt comes from the plate, the section below the ribs, and is part of the diaphragm muscles. It is long, thin and flat, with a very open, coarse grain you can see clearly across the surface.
That loose grain soaks up marinade and seasoning brilliantly, which is why skirt is the traditional cut for fajitas and a favourite in many grilling cultures.
What part of a cow is skirt steak?
Skirt comes from the plate, the underside of the cow below the rib section, between the brisket at the front and the flank behind.
Location and anatomy
It is part of the diaphragm muscles that sit inside the rib cage, which is why it is long, flat and loosely grained.
The outside skirt is from the diaphragm itself, thicker and more tender. The inside skirt is from the abdominal wall, wider, thinner and a little chewier.
How to cook it
As hot and as fast as you can. Because skirt is so thin, it only needs a minute or two on each side over fierce heat to char the outside while the middle stays pink. Cooked slowly or too long, it turns tough and dry.
Slice it the right way
Skirt must be sliced across the grain, and thinly. Cut with the grain and you are left with long, chewy strands. Cut across, and the same steak becomes tender. Because the grain runs across the width of the strip, it usually helps to cut the steak into shorter lengths first, then slice each one across.
Where to order skirt
Sydney has plenty of places to order a good steak, and our pick of the best steak restaurants in Sydney is a good place to start.
Our venue serving skirt is Elements Bar and Grill in Walsh Bay and Pyrmont (MB9 wagyu skirt steak).
Cuts to compare with skirt
Frequently asked
Is skirt steak the same as flank steak?
No. Skirt comes from the plate and has a looser grain and more fat. Flank comes from the belly and is leaner and tighter.
How do you cook skirt steak?
Very hot and very fast, for a minute or two a side, then rest it and slice it thinly across the grain.
Why is skirt steak so flavourful?
It is a working muscle with a loose grain and some fat, which carries strong beef flavour and takes marinade well.
Is wagyu skirt steak worth ordering?
Yes. Skirt already has big flavour, and wagyu marbling makes it far more tender than an Angus skirt, so it works as a steak on its own rather than only sliced for tacos.
