On Sunday, we hosted a barbecue for our immediate family. We grilled all the regulars: hot dogs, burgers and ribs. The star of the show, though, were the skirt steaks.

Skirt steaks are meaty, flavorful, tender, inexpensive and simple to prepare.  They are long and thin, versatile and take practically no time on the grill.  Because of their shape, they cook quickly and create a beautiful crust.  

Here are five simple tips for preparing the perfect  kosher skirt steak:

1.  Kosher skirt steaks tend to be salty, so use rubs and marinades that are salt-free
Be careful to use rubs and marinades that contain no extra salt or you will have a very salty piece of meat.  If you are sensitive to the saltiness, my friend, Linda, suggests soaking the skirt steak in water and changing the water several times before marinating.

2. Bring skirt steak to room temperature before grilling
Bringing the meat to room temperature before cooking allows the meat to cook more evenly.

3.  Skirt steaks love intense heat
Preheat your grill or grill pan and cook your skirt steak on  high temperature

4. Allow steak to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing
By letting the cooked meat rest, the moisture lost in cooking is reabsorbed, yielding a more tender and juicy steak.

5.  Slice your finished steak on the diagonal in very thin slices
Slice steak against the grain on a diagonal.  I use a serated all-purpose knife for this task. Thinly sliced skirt steak is delicious and beautiful, allowing for maximum tenderness and flavor