Black Pepper Skirt Steak with Garlic Soy Pan Sauce
A Simple and Flavorful Dinner For Two
Black Pepper Skirt Steak with Garlic Soy Pan Sauce is an easy, flavor-packed dinner featuring tender grilled skirt steak marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and plenty of cracked black pepper. The reserved marinade is transformed into a rich, savory pan sauce that is perfect drizzled over the sliced steak and served alongside rice and vegetables.
After making my Crunchy Garlic Chili Cucumbers, I found myself craving those flavors again and wanted a protein to serve alongside them. I had a beautiful skirt steak on hand, so I marinated it in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper.
Next I grilled it and turned the reserved marinade into a rich pan sauce. The result was everything I hoped it would be and more, especially served with a bowl of white rice and those crisp, refreshing cucumbers on the side.
Din Tai Fung
For those who may not be familiar with it, Din Tai Fung is a world-famous Taiwanese restaurant that started as a small cooking oil shop in Taiwan in the 1950s before becoming an international dining destination. While it is best known for its delicate soup dumplings, the restaurant has developed a loyal following for many of its simple yet incredibly flavorful dishes, including noodles, fried rice, green beans, and their famous cucumber salad, which inspired the side dish served with this steak.
My Favorite Food
People often ask me what my favorite food is, and I usually have a hard time choosing between Asian food and Mexican food. If I’m being completely truthful, my dream meal is probably some sort of Asian-Mexican mashup.
One thing that never changes is my love for skirt steak. If you’ve been following along for a while, you may have seen my Arrachera recipe, which is a Mexican-style marinated skirt steak that is packed with citrus, garlic, and bold flavors before being grilled and sliced thin.
Marinated Steak Tacos
This recipe takes that same cut of beef in a completely different direction. Instead of the bright citrus flavors found in Arrachera, this version leans into soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper to create a savory steak that pairs beautifully with rice.
If you’re a fan of skirt steak like I am, this is another delicious way to enjoy one of the most flavorful cuts of beef at the butcher counter.
The Marinade
One ingredient I love using in this recipe is Worcestershire powder. I keep it stocked in my pantry because it delivers all of that rich, savory, slightly tangy Worcestershire flavor without adding extra liquid to marinades and seasoning blends.
If you don’t have Worcestershire powder, you can absolutely substitute traditional Worcestershire sauce. The powder distributes evenly throughout the marinade and also gives the steak a deeper, more concentrated flavor that I really enjoy.
Be Mindful Of The Marinade Time
This steak can be marinated anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. The exact timing will depend on the thickness of your skirt steak.
If you have a particularly thin piece of meat, I would stay closer to the 4 to 8 hour range. Thicker skirt steaks can handle a longer marinade and often benefit from an overnight rest in the refrigerator.
The reason for this is that the soy sauce, seasonings, and salt in the marinade don’t just add flavor, they also begin changing the texture of the meat. Over time, the salt works its way into the steak.
It starts to denature some of the proteins. Similar to the way a brine works. This helps create a tender, flavorful steak, but if a very thin piece of meat sits in the marinade for too long, the outer layers can begin to take on a cured texture.
While it will still be delicious, the texture may become slightly firmer than intended. When in doubt, pay attention to the thickness of your steak and adjust the marinating time accordingly.
Turning The Marinade Into Sauce
One of my favorite parts of this recipe is turning the marinade into a flavorful sauce, but it is important to do so safely. Because the marinade has been in contact with raw meat, it must be brought to a full rolling boil before it is used as a sauce.
Boiling the marinade for several minutes eliminates any harmful bacteria that may be present, making it safe to enjoy. Once it has been thoroughly boiled, you can add the beef broth, butter, and cornstarch slurry.
This will create a rich, glossy sauce that is packed with flavor and perfect for drizzling over the sliced steak.
No Grill, No Problem
If you do not have access to a grill, this steak cooks beautifully on the stovetop as well. Heat a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high to high heat until it is very hot.
Remove the steak from the marinade, pat it dry, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until it reaches your desired doneness. Avoid overcrowding the pan and work in batches if necessary.
Once cooked, transfer the steak to a cutting board and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. The high heat of the skillet will create a flavorful crust that is very similar to what you would achieve on a grill.
Black Pepper Skirt Steak with Garlic Soy Pan Sauce Recipe
Tender skirt steak is marinated overnight in a savory blend of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil before being grilled and finished with a rich black pepper pan sauce made from the reserved marinade. This restaurant-style steak is packed with bold flavor and pairs perfectly with rice, grilled vegetables, or a crisp cucumber salad.
Ingredients
- FOR THE STEAK:
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak
- FOR THE MARINADE:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- Reserved marinade
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- OPTIONAL GARNISHES:
- Sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Additional cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a shallow dish or zip-top bag, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Add the skirt steak and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Remove the steak from the marinade, reserving all of the marinade for the sauce. Pat the steak dry with paper towels.
- Preheat a grill to high heat. Grill the skirt steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Remove from the grill and allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes.
- While the steak rests, pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan. Bring it to a full rolling boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the beef broth and black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce until it thickens.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy.
- Slice the skirt steak thinly against the grain and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the steak and serve the remaining sauce on the side.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and additional cracked black pepper if desired.
Tips
- Always slice skirt steak against the grain for the most tender bite.
- The sauce can be made a little spicier by adding chili crisp or red pepper flakes.
- This steak is especially delicious served with white rice and Crunchy Garlic Chili Cucumbers *recipe for these is linked in the post before the recipe card.