Steaks of Argentina: Entraña

Entraña (pronounced en-tran-ya), or ‘skirt steak’ as it’s more commonly known, is a cut that has been tragically overlooked for far too long. Long and slender, the entraña easily becomes lost in the shadows of juicier looking cuts, such as sirloin or ribeye, and those who do know of the steak’s existence haven’t always had the best experience.

As a muscular cut, the entraña is naturally slightly tougher than other steaks and therefore highly vulnerable to overcooking, which is why some understandably dismiss the cut as being “too tough to enjoy” after experiencing the overcooked, leathery horrors of a steak that would be more at home in a shoe shop than on a plate.

Due to this unfortunate reputation, many are surprised to learn that with careful preparation and cooking, the modest entraña is practically a diamond in the rough. With succulent slices that absolutely burst with flavour, a properly prepared skirt steak has been the star of the dinner table in homes across Argentina for decades.

Cut from the abdomen, the entraña is a portion of the diaphragm muscle. It is elongated and flat in appearance, with a delicate marbling of rich ruby muscle fibres and cream-coloured fat occurring throughout the meat. Composed of long muscle fibres, the entraña has a visibly grooved texture that almost glints in the light.

Whilst some prefer to savour the cut’s amazing flavours au naturel, others choose to marinate their steaks prior to cooking in a concoction containing ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, garlic, pepper, lime juice or olive oil. The looser structure of muscle fibres found throughout an entraña makes the cut highly absorbent and therefore perfect for anyone who wishes to both soften and add more flavours to their steak. This high absorbency also means that marination is a task that must be carefully timed and kept to a maximum of twenty minutes - any longer than this risks losing the mouthwatering flavours that made the cut an icon across Argentina.

An entraña is always best enjoyed rare to medium-rare in order to maximise the meat’s tenderness. When it comes to cooking the skirt steak, there are two main methods: very hot and very fast or slow and steady.

The first method, which we favour, involves a scorching grill, a sizzling steak and the mindset that ‘less is more’. When cooked at such high temperatures, the entraña only needs a few minutes on each side and you can tell it’s done when you’re salivating over the irresistible smell. The fat present in between the muscle fibres melts in the heat, maintaining the steak’s tasty texture and juiciness whilst the outer layer hardens slightly.

The second method, known as caldo de carne (meaning ‘meat broth’), involves very slowly braising an entraña in a simmering, yet not boiling, broth with a dash of white wine. Throughout the duration of cooking, moisture from the broth and heat from the stove can transform even the toughest meat into the mouthwateringly tender, melt-in-your-mouth entraña of your dreams.

When serving an entraña, it’s important to cut the meat against the grain (that is, against the direction of muscle fibres in the meat) into thin slices; this makes it easier to both devour your steak and relish in its abundance of flavours.

Like with marination, some enjoy their steak with a sauce or two and others prefer to enjoy as is. In Argentina, the sauce of choice is often chimichurri, where the earthy zing of parsley and garlic pair perfectly with the entraña’s buttery and beefy tastes.

Eating an entraña is an experience that may require good use of your jaw muscles, but for such delicious taste, you’ll soon realise that your mouth workout is more than worth it.