Skirt Steak

This simple grilled dinner is all about fresh summer produce. Herbs and smashed garlic quickly infuse charred sweet peppers, capturing their heat straight from the grill.

I’m a huge potato fan, a lover of spuds in all forms. When I was a kid (and a very picky eater, to my parents’ dismay), I would order potatoes whenever we went out to eat. Whether we were dining at a homey family restaurant in the small Mississippi town where we lived or they had driven five hours so that my brother and I could experience an authentic Chinese restaurant in New Orleans—I’d usually find mashed potatoes or French fries somewhere on the kids’ menu and make a meal of it. I’d always eat some of what my mom and dad ordered, and I’d always like it. But in a move of stubbornness or independence (or both), I always wanted a bowl or plate of potatoes in front of me. Now that I’m an adult with a much more expanded palate, I still have a profound fondness for the humble tuber. If I can find a way to work potatoes into a recipe or a meal, I will. When summer rolls around and I do a lot less roasting, stewing, and braising in favor of more outdoor cooking, I have to get a little more creative to get my fill of potatoes. Turns out, small waxy potatoes are fantastic on kebabs. They do need to be pre-cooked, but they take the licks of the flames like a champ—getting crispy, charred skins and somehow absorbing the smoky flavors within their creamy interior. Almost nothing pairs better with potatoes than steak, so here I thread strips of skirt steak onto skewers with baby Dutch yellow potatoes. The intense beefiness of skirt steak is most welcome, and this cut is surprisingly well-suited to kebabs. Slices of robust Spanish chorizo crisp up on the grill and offer bursts of intense flavor as you eat the kebabs. Coating everything with smoked paprika amplifies the effect of the grilling, and interspersing buttery Castelvetrano olives onto each skewer is, I must say, one of the best culinary decisions I’ve made. (In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever make kebabs without them again.) To finish things off, there’s a romesco-ish mayonnaise to dunk the kebabs into. I figured that since French fries are fantastic with mayo, grilled potatoes might also be great with a mayo-based sauce. Turns out I was right. Whenever I make these kebabs for my family, I am rewarded with literal exclamations of "thank you." And that might just be even better than the food.

We’ve upped the ante on this taqueria classic by heating whole cumin seeds to release their fragrant oils into the marinade. Be sure to reserve a tablespoon of the marinade before adding it to the meat; you’ll use it to make a quick dressing after slicing the cooked steak. Inexpensive skirt steak is great cut of beef for this recipe; cooking it hot and fast is the key to reaping the most tender results. If grilling outside isn’t an option, this recipe works equally well on a grill pan. Slice the steak against the grain, and serve with warm tortillas and your favorite taco toppings. Chop up leftovers and serve with black beans over eggs and sliced avocado for a hearty riff on huevos rancheros.

Cuban-born photographer Romulo Yanes shares a recipe for classic Cuban Ropa Vieja, which literally translates as “old clothes.” Skirt steak braises until tender in the pressure cooker before being shredded and stewed in a rich tomato sauce. Slideshow: More Cuban Recipes

“I love okra, but pretty much only when it’s charred,” says Top Chef winner Brooke Williamson. “Grilling enhances its flavor without any unpleasant sliminess.” Williamson tosses the okra with sweet plums and crisp jicama to make a bright and crunchy salad that’s great served with sliced skirt steak or tossed all together. Slideshow: More Skirt Steak Recipes

F&W Best New Chef 2017 Val M. Cantu, of San Francisco’s Californios, makes a lot of tortillas, but these sourdough ones embody his goal at the restaurant of marrying the cuisines of San Francisco and Mexico. You’ll need to source a sourdough starter for these, but once you have that, it’s yours for life, as long as you tend to it regularly. Slideshow: More Skirt Steak Recipes