Skirt steak is a long, thin, coarse-grained beef cut from the diaphragm region. It has a pronounced beef flavour and is commonly used for fajitas, carne asada and other grilled preparations. In French, the term hampe generally refers to a skirt-type diaphragm muscle, although exact muscle boundaries can vary by butchery system.
Outside skirt comes from the diaphragm and is generally more tender and uniform than inside skirt. Inside skirt is a different, often slightly tougher muscle from the abdominal wall. Both have a strong grain and benefit from correct slicing after cooking.
Trim excess membrane and surface fat as required, then season or marinate according to the recipe. Cook quickly over high heat by grilling, broiling or pan-searing. Rest briefly and slice thinly across the grain. Because the muscle fibres are long and coarse, slicing direction is essential for tenderness.
Example: grill skirt steak for carne asada, then slice across the grain and serve with tortillas, salsa and fresh herbs.
Skirt steak, flank steak and hanger steak are all flavourful cuts with pronounced grain, but they come from different muscles. Skirt and hanger are associated with the diaphragm region; flank comes from the abdominal flank. They should not be treated as exact substitutes without checking the cut and recipe.
Chef’s tip: keep the cooking time short and avoid overcooking. Identify the grain before cooking so the steak can be sliced correctly for service.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
