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Food & Wine Recipe

Grilled Skirt Steak with Fregola and Italian Frying Peppers

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  • ACTIVE: 40 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 20 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 8

Garlic infuses both the succulent skirt steak and the sweet fried peppers Marc Murphy tosses with fregola.

Plus: More Grilling Recipes and Tips

  1. 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 4 garlic cloves—2 minced, 2 thinly sliced
  3. 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  5. 5 pounds skirt steak
  6. 1 pound Italian frying peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces
  7. 1 1/2 pounds fregola (see Note)
  8. Leaves from 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
  9. 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
  1. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the minced garlic, thyme and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, rub the skirt steak with the flavored oil and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet. Add the peppers and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 2 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl.
  3. Cook the fregola in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain the fregola well in a colander and let cool. Add the fregola to the peppers along with the parsley leaves, sherry vinegar and the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss well.
  4. Light a grill. Grill the skirt steak over a hot fire, turning once, about 8 minutes for medium. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then cut it into 5-inch lengths. Thinly slice the steak across the grain and serve with the fregola and peppers.
Make Ahead The fregola with peppers can stand at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Toss before serving. Notes Fregola is a small, round, Sardinian couscous that is cooked like pasta. It is available at Italian markets and specialty shops, or online from cybercucina.com.

Suggested Pairing

A Bordeaux, such as one from the Barsac region of France.