Juicy Skirt Steak with Cowgirl Butter

I never knew there was a better way to serve steak until my neighbor shared her secret weapon – cowgirl butter. Growing up, we always ate our steaks with regular butter or steak sauce straight from the bottle. When I tried anything fancier, it usually fell flat.

That’s because I was overthinking it. Turns out, all you need is some good butter mixed with fresh herbs and a few simple ingredients. Skirt steak with cowgirl butter isn’t fancy or complicated – it’s just plain good food that makes everyone at the table happy. And the best part? It’s pretty much impossible to mess up.

What Kind of Skirt Steak Should I Use?

You’ll find two different cuts of skirt steak at the butcher counter – inside and outside skirt. The inside skirt is generally more tender and a bit thicker, making it ideal for this recipe, but either type will work well. If you can only find outside skirt steak, just be sure not to cook it past medium-rare to keep it tender. When shopping, look for meat with good marbling (those white streaks of fat) and try to get pieces that are fairly even in thickness – this helps ensure even cooking. If your butcher hasn’t already done so, you might want to ask them to remove the tough silver skin membrane from the meat, or you can easily do this at home with a sharp knife.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps if needed:

• Skirt steak: If you can’t find skirt steak, flank steak or hanger steak make great alternatives. Just adjust cooking time slightly – flank steak might need an extra minute or two per side.
• Fresh herbs: No fresh cilantro or thyme? Use 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 tablespoon dried cilantro instead. If you’re not a cilantro fan, try fresh parsley.
• Whole-grain Dijon mustard: Regular Dijon works fine here, or you could use stone-ground mustard. In a pinch, yellow mustard mixed with a pinch of horseradish will do the trick.
• Smoked paprika: Regular paprika can work, but you’ll miss that smoky flavor. Try adding a tiny drop of liquid smoke (just 1-2 drops!) to regular paprika for a similar effect.
• Vegetable oil: Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works great – try grapeseed, canola, or avocado oil.
• Salted butter: Unsalted butter works too – just add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the compound butter mixture. For dairy-free options, a good quality plant-based butter will work, though the flavor will be slightly different.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake when cooking skirt steak is not paying attention to the grain of the meat – always remember to slice against the grain after cooking, or you’ll end up with tough, chewy pieces instead of tender bites. Temperature control is crucial too – skirt steak needs high heat to develop a nice crust, but cooking it past medium-rare will make it tough and leathery, so aim for an internal temperature of 130-135°F. Another common error is not letting the meat rest after cooking – give it at least 5-10 minutes under loose foil to let the juices redistribute, or they’ll end up on your cutting board instead of in your steak. For the cowgirl butter, make sure your butter is properly softened (but not melted) before mixing in the other ingredients, as this ensures all the flavors blend evenly without becoming greasy or separated.

What to Serve With Skirt Steak?

This flavorful skirt steak calls for some simple but tasty sides that won’t overshadow that amazing cowgirl butter. A baked potato or roasted sweet potato makes the perfect landing spot for any extra compound butter that melts off your steak. For some green on your plate, try grilled asparagus or a simple arugula salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. If you’re feeling like Mexican-inspired sides to complement the cilantro and lime, warm corn tortillas and quick-pickled red onions would make this meal complete.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Got leftover steak? Place it in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge for up to 3 days. For the cowgirl butter, store it separately in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The butter actually gets even more flavorful as the herbs and spices mingle together!

Make Ahead: The cowgirl butter is perfect for making ahead! You can whip it up to 3 days before you need it – just keep it covered in the fridge. Let it soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. The steak seasoning can also be mixed ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Serve Again: When you’re ready to enjoy your leftover steak, let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. To keep it juicy, slice it thinly against the grain and warm it quickly in a hot skillet just until heated through. The cold steak is also great on salads or in sandwiches!

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	6-8 minutes
Total Time	126-138 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2000
• Protein: 120-140 g
• Fat: 150-170 g
• Carbohydrates: 10-15 g

Ingredients

For the cowgirl butter:

• 8 tbsp salted butter (softened to room temperature for easier mixing)
• freshly cracked black pepper
• salt
• 1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 grated garlic cloves (freshly grated for best flavor)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea & Perrins)
• zest from 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

For the skirt steak:

• 2 skirt steaks (about 1.5-2 lbs each)
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• lime wedges for squeezing
• 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (gives a rich smoky flavor)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 to 4 tbsp vegetable oil (or any high-smoke point oil like grapeseed)

Step 1: Prepare the Compound Butter

In a large bowl, combine the room temperature butter with chopped cilantro, chopped thyme, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, grated garlic, lime zest, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.

Mix thoroughly using a rubber spatula until well combined.

Let the compound butter rest at room temperature as you prepare the steaks.

Step 2: Season the Steaks

In a small bowl, mix kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, and ground cumin.

Sprinkle this seasoning mixture evenly over both skirt steaks.

Allow the seasoned steaks to rest at room temperature for 2 hours to absorb the flavors.

Step 3: Grill the Steaks

Drizzle vegetable oil over the steaks, making sure each surface is lightly coated.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Place the steaks on the pan and grill them for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, allowing them to sear and release easily, aiming for medium-rare doneness.

Step 4: Rest the Steaks

After grilling, transfer the steaks to a plate.

Top them with half of the compound butter, and loosely tent aluminum foil over the steaks.

Let them rest so the juices redistribute, and the butter begins to melt into the meat.

Step 5: Serve the Steaks

Slice the rested steaks into 3/4-inch slices against the grain to ensure tenderness.

Serve the sliced steaks with the remaining compound butter on the side for added flavor, along with lime wedges for optional spritzing.

Enjoy your flavorful and juicy grilled skirt steaks!