Bobby Flay’s Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce

A steak so aromatic, you can smell the garlic in the marinade the instant it hits the grill. And ripe mango puree flavors the savory steak sauce.

Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce
Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce. Photographs copyright © 2013 by Quentin Bacon

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This is so aromatic; you can smell the garlic in the marinade the instant the steak hits the grill. I think of Cuban food as reinforcement cooking because you see many of the same ingredients (think garlic, oregano, cumin) played out in a multitude of dishes. It’s definitely positive reinforcement—it’s all delicious. Tomato escabeche is a fresh salsa or relish served with all sorts of traditional Cuban dishes. A puree of ripe mangoes thickens and flavors the savory steak sauce.


Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce

(Makes 4 servings)

Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce
Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce. Photographs copyright © 2013 by Quentin Bacon

Skirt Steak Ingredients

  • 8 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 fresh bay leaves (not dried)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
  • Grated zest of 2 limes
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 ½ pounds skirt steak, cut into 2 or 3 pieces crosswise
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Escabeche Ingredients

  • 3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, halved, pulp and seeds removed, flesh cut into thin strips
  • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, julienned
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Mango Steak Sauce (recipe follows)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Marinate the Steak:

  1. Combine garlic, oregano, bay leaves, cumin seeds, lime zest, lime juice, and oil in blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Put steak in large baking dish, add marinade, cover, refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
  3. Heat grill to high for direct grilling.
  4. Thirty minutes before cooking, remove steak from refrigerator and from marinade and transfer to plate.

Make the tomato escabeche:

  1. Combine tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and cilantro in bowl.
  2. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
  5. Grill on both sides until golden brown, slightly charred, cooked to medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side.
  6. Remove steaks to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
  7. Cut steak against grain and serve topped with tomato escabeche.
  8. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve mango steak sauce on side.

Mango Steak Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 very ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped
  • ½ cup mango nectar
  • 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • ¼ cup prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons clover honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oil in medium high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Add mangoes, mango nectar, ancho powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until mangoes are very soft and mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes.
  5. Transfer mixture to food processor or blender.
  6. Add horseradish, honey, mustard, maple syrup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper, blend until smooth.
  7. Scrape sauce into bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Reprinted from the book Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson. Copyright © 2013 by Boy Meets Grill, Inc. Photographs copyright © 2013 by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.

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