Skirt Steak vs. Flank Steak: How to Master High-Heat Grilling and Slicing

Walk into any supermarket or commodity grocery store, and you’ll likely see skirt steak and flank steak tossed into the same generic "carne asada" or fajita meat category. But ask any craft butcher—especially those of us who have spent our lives at the cutting block here at Milo Locker Meats—and we will tell you that these are two entirely distinct cuts.

Both skirt and flank are legendary for their bold, deeply beefy flavor. Both are lean, flat, and fibrous. And both are featured in our signature Butcher’s Cut 1/8th Bundle (which includes 0.75 lbs of Skirt Steak and 0.3 lbs of Flank Steak, perfect for home cooks looking to expand their culinary horizons).

However, their differences in fat content, grain structure, and muscle fiber density mean they require slightly different approaches in the kitchen.

If you want to transform these rugged, hardworking cuts into melt-in-your-mouth masterpieces instead of chewy shoe leather, you need to understand the science of how to select, prep, grill, and slice them.

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The Tail of the Tape: Defining the Cuts

To cook them right, we first have to understand where they come from on the animal and how that affects their structure.

Skirt Steak: The Bold and Loose Classic

Skirt steak comes from the diaphragm area of the steer (known as the plate). There are actually two types of skirt steak: the inside skirt and the outside skirt. Outside skirt is the premium choice—it is thicker, more uniform, and highly prized by chefs, which is exactly why we select and trim outside skirt for our Milo Locker customers.

• Appearance: Very long, narrow, and thin (usually about 3 to 4 inches wide and up to 2 feet long before being portioned).
• Texture: Coarse, loose muscle fibers with deep grooves between them. It has a higher fat content than flank steak, giving it beautiful internal marbling.
• Flavor Profile: Intensely beefy, rich, and buttery due to the high fat content.
• Best Use: Fajitas, Philly cheesesteaks, stir-fry, or classic skirt steak tacos.

Because of its loose grain structure and deep grooves, skirt steak has a massive amount of surface area. This makes it the absolute king of holding marinades. The marinade can penetrate deep into the meat, tenderizing the fibers and imparting bold flavors.

Flank Steak: The Lean and Clean Powerhouse

Flank steak comes from the abdominal muscles of the steer, located further back near the rear legs.

• Appearance: Wide, flat, oval-shaped, and significantly thicker in the center than skirt steak.
• Texture: Extremely tight, uniform muscle fibers that run in a single, clear direction. It is very lean with minimal fat or marbling.
• Flavor Profile: Clean, deep, classic beef flavor. It is less buttery than skirt steak but has a satisfying chew and rich taste.
• Best Use: London Broil, sliced steak salads, stir-frys, or rolled and stuffed steak pinwheels.

Because flank steak is so lean and has a tight grain structure, marinades do not penetrate it as deeply as they do skirt steak. Instead, it relies on high-heat searing and incredibly precise slicing to achieve tenderness.

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High-Heat Grilling: The Golden Rule for Lean Cuts

Unlike thick-cut dry-aged ribeyes or strip steaks that thrive on the low-and-slow reverse sear, skirt and flank steaks require the exact opposite: blistering, high-heat speed.

Because these cuts are relatively thin and lean, cooking them slowly will dry them out completely. You want to cook them fast and hot to get a beautiful charred crust on the outside while keeping the center a juicy medium-rare (130°F to 135°F). If you overcook these cuts past medium, they will quickly turn dry and tough.

How to Grill Them to Perfection

1. The Marinade (Optional but Recommended): Let your steak sit in a marinade for at least 4 to 12 hours. A great marinade should have an oil (to transfer heat), an acid like lime juice or red wine vinegar (to help weaken surface proteins), and aromatics like garlic and cumin.
2. Pat it Dry: Before the steak hits the heat, remove it from the marinade and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Any excess moisture on the surface of the meat will steam instead of sear, preventing you from getting a crust.
3. High Heat is Essential: Get your charcoal or gas grill screaming hot—aim for 500°F or higher. If cooking indoors, use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet preheated until smoking.
4. The Quick Cook:
   • For Skirt Steak: Place the steak over direct heat. Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes per side. Since it is thin, it cooks incredibly fast.
   • For Flank Steak: Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Because it is thicker, it needs slightly more time to reach a medium-rare center.
5. Resting is Mandatory: Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. This allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb their natural juices. Slicing too early will dump all that rich flavor onto your board.

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The Science of Slicing: Cutting Against the Grain

You could buy the finest single-source, pasture-raised beef in the world, marinate it to perfection, and grill it beautifully—but if you slice it incorrectly, it will still be tough to chew.

With skirt and flank steaks, how you slice the meat is just as important as how you cook it.

The "grain" of the meat refers to the direction that the long muscle fibers run. If you slice parallel to these fibers (with the grain), you are forcing your teeth to chew through long, unbroken strings of tough muscle tissue.

If you slice perpendicular to these fibers (against the grain), you are cutting those long fibers into tiny, microscopic pieces. Your teeth no longer have to work to break down the muscle structure—making the meat feel incredibly tender.

The 45-Degree Master Angle

For flank steak, locate the grain (which runs lengthwise down the steak). Hold your knife at a sharp 45-degree angle to the cutting board (bias cutting) and slice across the grain into thin strips (about 1/4 inch thick). Slicing on a bias increases the surface area of each slice, making it even tenderer.

For skirt steak, the grain runs crosswise (width-wise). Because skirt steak is so long, the best method is to first cut the long steak into manageable 3 to 4-inch sections. Then, rotate each section 90 degrees and slice thin strips across those short sections.

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