About the Author | CHRIS SCHLESINGER is the former owner and chef of East Coast Grill in Boston. He was the winner of the 1996 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast and is a contributing editor for Saveur. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. JOHN WILLOUGHBY is a writer, editor, and the former executive editor at Gourmet; he currently serves as the editorial director for magazines at America’s Test Kitchen and publisher of Cooks’ Illustrated magazine. He was the co-author, with Chris Schlesinger, of a monthly feature in the New York Times food section. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Schlesinger and Willoughby have written nine cookbooks together. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Super-Basic GRILLED Skirt Steaks 2-1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4 to 6 pieces 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon coriander 2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper Kosher salt to taste 1/4 cup olive oil Build a two-level fire in your grill, which means you put all the coals on one side of the grill and leave the other side free of coals. When the flames have died down, all the coals are covered with gray ash, and the temperature is hot (you can hold your hand 6 inches above the grill for only 2 to 3 seconds), you’re ready to cook. In a small bowl, combine the spices and salt to taste and mix well. Rub the steaks all over with the oil and then with the rub, pressing gently to be sure it adheres. Put the steaks on the grill directly over the coals, and cook until done to your liking, about 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare. To check for doneness, cut into the thickest steak and peek to see if the meat is slightly less done than you want it to be when you eat it. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, tent them loosely with foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes or so. To serve, slice the steaks thinly on the bias against the grain. Read more |