Soy-Lime Seared Skirt Steak with Garlic-Mint Pan Sauce

⏱ 20 min · easy · 🍽 serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 lb skirt steak, patted dry
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 limes (juice of both, zest of 1)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn, divided
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Salt and black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Steps

1. Rinse the rice, put it in a small saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 12 minutes while you do everything else.
2. Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, honey and half the garlic in a bowl. Season the steak with salt and pepper, brush it with a third of the mixture, and let it sit at room temperature — reserve the rest of the liquid for the sauce.
3. On a board, toss the cucumber with a squeeze of leftover lime juice, half the mint and the sesame seeds. Leave Judy's portion of this plain if she's skipping the chili later — the rest can take a pinch of red pepper flakes.
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over high heat until it's just smoking. Lay in the steak and sear 3 minutes a side for medium-rare — it should feel springy, not firm, when pressed.
5. Move the steak to the board to rest, tented loosely with foil, for 5 minutes.
6. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining garlic to the skillet and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the reserved soy-lime mixture and let it bubble and reduce by half, about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits.
7. Off the heat, swirl in the butter until the sauce is glossy, then stir in the rest of the mint.
8. Slice the steak thinly against the grain, fan it over the rice, and spoon the garlic-mint sauce over the top. Serve the cucumber salad alongside.