Steak lovers, here is a rich recipe that adds much fanfare to just a grilled steak. Skirt steak pinwheels take butterflied skirt steak, pounded thin, then rolled up with cheese inside. It’s a way to wow dinner guests with something different and special.
The stuffed skirt steak pinwheels make a graphic statement of red and white, with the spiral of cheese, which is why I included this recipe a part of our 4th of July menu for a buffet, where all the food is red and white. Tip: Good skirt steak can be a little pricey, but pounding them thinly allows you to stretch your dollar. Make sure to start with it butterflied from the butcher, unless you have good knife skills.
Skirt steak has nice marbled fat, which is why I chose it over flank steak, for its extra richness of flavor. Two important tips: When rolling the steaks into logs, make sure the grain is parallel to the length of the roll. That way when you cut the spirals you will be cutting against the grain. Two: Do not overcook it—you want all those juices intact.
Another very important point, choose a cheese that does not melt easily, like a halloumi or paneer, or the Yanni Grilling Cheese with jalapeño as I did here. That way the cheese will stay inside the steak (not melt out and make a mess of your pan. I tried this recipe with three other cheeses until I got it right!). But it was fun eating the mistakes.
MAKES 16 SKEWERED BITES OR 32 HALF SLICES
PREPARE THE STEAK
1 1/2 LB skirt steak, butterflied
grapeseed oil
s + p
grilling cheese, cut into 1/8” slices
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Cut steak into 6-inch lengths. Pound till about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Trim odd sections (throw in pan as a snack while cooking!) Spread oil on both sides of steak, sprinkle salt and pepper inside. Line cheese slices inside the fatty side of the meat, leaving a little free space at the top. Roll tightly. Tie at 2” intervals. Trim ragged ends.
SEAR THE STEAK
1/2 TB grape seed oil
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In a large skillet heat oil on medium-high heat. Sear steak for one minute each on all 4 sides, until nice and brown. Remove from pan and let sit for a few minutes. (At this point you could put aside and cook when you are ready to serve.)
FINISH COOKING STEAK
seared steak rolls
thyme, broken into snippets
EV olive oil
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When slightly cooled, insert 4 large bamboo skewers into each roll through the top fold, in order to secure. Cut in between each, so you end up with 4 spirals. Push skewer completely through.
Cook each piece with spiral facing up about 2 minutes on each side using the skewer to flip. Remove from pan, discard twine. Serve as is with skewer, or remove skewer and cut in half to reveal the cheese spiral design. Sprinkle thyme snippets, and drizzle EV olive oil to decorate the plate.
See more red & white recipes for a patriotic buffet in 04 July 4th Bash
