Barbecued Skirt Steak With Crispy Onions And Red Wine Sauce

When it comes to cooking a skirt steak, an open fire is probably the best way. The intense heat from the flames gives the succulent and flavorful cut a rich char that’s smoky and crisp at the edges. The trick is to get the fire hot enough and dry off any marinade before placing the meat on the braai grid.

Recipe by: Michael Olivier

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation and cooking time: 30 – 45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 kg skirt or flank steak
• sea salt and freshly milled black pepperFor the onions:
• 4 medium onions – sliced very thinly
• seasoned cake flour for dusting
• canola oil for fryingFor the sauce:
• 3 onions – finely chopped
• 3 Tbs butter
• 375ml red wine
• 2 Tbs Port
• 2 Tbs Grand Marnier
• 1 litre good concentrated homemade beef stock
• 80g cold butter cut into chunks
• 4 tsp red currant jelly

Instructions

1. Make a fire for a barbecue. This meat can also be grilled on a ridged pan or over a gas fired kitchen grill.
2. Prepare the sauce first. Sweat the onions in the butter in a saucepan until they are softening and start to caramelise. Add the red wine and reduce until it is almost completely evaporated. Add the Port and Grand Marnier and reduce by half. Add the beef stock and reduce by approximately two thirds or until the sauce starts to taste full of flavour. Add the cold butter chunks and red currant jelly and shake the pan to cause an emulsion. Season with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper and keep warm.
3. Now prepare the onions. Season the flour with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Toss the onions in the flour, shake off the excess and fry in hot canola or vegetable oil until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
4. Prepare the meat by patting the pieces dry with kitchen paper and seasoning it with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper.
5. Grill steaks on a lightly oiled rack, turning over once only, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Do not cook for longer, skirt steak does not like being cooked beyond medium. Remove to a wooden board covered loosely with a piece of foil for a 5-minute rest period.
6. To serve, cut the steak into thick diagonal slices, pour over sufficient sauce to moisten well and set the onions on top. Serve the remainder of the sauce separately.