Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

Border Grill - Mandalay Bay

Border Grill Skirt Steak

Makes 6 servings

3/4 cup cumin seeds
6 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, cut in half and seeded if desired
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 bunches cilantro, stems and leaves
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 6 serving pieces
1 recipe Border Grill Avocado Corn Relish, see recipe, for serving warm flour tortillas, for serving

Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a dry medium skillet over low heat just until their aroma is released, about 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a blender. Add the jalapenos, garlic, black pepper, salt, and lime and puree until the cumin seeds are finely ground. Then add the cilantro, olive oil, and salt and puree until smooth.

Cut the steak into 6 serving pieces. Generously brush the meat all over with the cumin seed marinade and roll each piece up into a cylinder. Arrange the rolled steaks in a shallow pan and pour on the remaining marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the refrigerator. Unroll the steaks and place on the platter.

Heat the grill or broiler to very hot.

Cook the steaks just until seared on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. (Or panfry in a hot cast-iron skillet lightly coated with oil.) Transfer cooked steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Then slice across the grain into diagonal strips. (Tough cuts like this and flank should always be cut across the grain so that no one bite will contain too much muscle.) Serve hot with Border Grill Avocado Corn Relish and warm flour tortillas.

Copyright © 2005, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

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