grapefruit and habanero skirt steak

Fun fact- when you type habanero into my computer, it prompts you to correct it to handbarrow. But, this is not grapefruit and handbarrow steak. It's a little spicier than that!

This marinade is kicking! I mean, really kickin', so it's not for the faint of heart. You'd better enjoy the slow spicy burn of a habanero if you want to wrangle this recipe, but I have a quick fix for anyone who wants to tone it down some. It starts with ruby red grapefruit juice, and a little pulp.

Olive oil, habanero, garlic, salt, pepper and the juice of one entire grapefruit, into the food processor or blender makes the marinade.

It looks good already! Although, I don't really suggest tasting it at this point... the peppers mellow out a bit when you cook them.

Marinade your skirt steak, but no more than about 40 minutes. Any longer than that and the heat will be too much and the steak will ceviche in the citrus. Once the marinading is done, grill time!

Let the steaks rest for a few minutes and then cut on a bias to serve. You can serve them with tortillas or all alone, whatever you want. Here's my word of advice on the heat- if you can't handle the heat, melt some butter and pour it over the steaks before serving. Not only will the butter make them tastier, but the dairy will counter act the spiciness a little bit for yah!

Grapefruit and Habanero Skirt Steak
Loosely adapted from Saveur magazine.
1/2 cup olive oil
1 habanero
Juice of 1 ruby red grapefruit
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lb. skirt steak

In a food processor or blender, combine together olive oil, habanero, grapefruit juice, garlic cloves and salt and pepper. Pulse several times to liquefy. Pour marinade into a ziplock plastic bag and add steaks. Marinade for 30-40 minutes. Remove steaks from marinade and grill on high for 6-7 minutes per side for medium rare. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes before slices. Enjoy!