Skewered Southwest Steak

Flatiron beef steak, cut from the shoulder muscle of the animal, provides a nice alternative to flank steak in this quick-marinade recipe.

You'll need 8 to 10 mid-length metal skewers or you'll need to soak that same number of wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes; it's easy to do while the meat marinates. We tested this under the broiler but feel free to cook the skewers on a gas grill, if you'd like.

3 large cloves garlic

1 lime

Kosher salt

8 stems cilantro

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (regular or jalapeño-flavored)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1¼ teaspoons ground cumin

1¼ pounds flat iron steaks (may substitute flank steak)

Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler.

Peel the cloves and put them in a mini (or regular-size) food processor; pulse until finely chopped, then cut the lime into 8 wedges and squeeze half of them into the food processor bowl. Add a two-fingered pinch of the salt, leaves from 6 of the cilantro stems, the hot sauce, oil, soy sauce and cumin. Puree to form a smooth marinade.

Starting at one of the short ends of the rectangular pieces of steak, cut crosswise (against the long grain) into ¼-inch-thick strips. Lay them in a baking dish or place them in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the meat and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes, then thread the strips, weaving them in a wavy in-and-out style to fill each skewer. (Think: Loch Ness Monster humps.) Place on a broiler pan or grill pan; broil (top rack) for about 4 minutes for medium-rare, or longer for the degree of doneness you like.

Divide the skewers among individual plates; season lightly with salt. Garnish with sprigs from the remaining cilantro stems and serve with the remaining lime wedges. Serve with a mix of smashed/roasted small potatoes and roasted red peppers, or with baked sweet potato fries.

Note: If you use flank steak instead, trim any excess fat and cut it on the diagonal, against the grain, into long strips.

Serves 4

Nutrition | Per serving: 280 calories, 32 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 730 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar

Adapted from the Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association.