Skirts on Fire

SERVES 8-12
Serve this meal with a mesclun salad dressed with a light soy-ginger or herb vinaigrette.

THAI MARINADE AND BASTE 

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup distilled white vinegar
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. Thai fish sauce
3 tbsp. red chile flakes (use 1-2 tbsp. for milder flavor)
2¼ tsp. curry powder
¼ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh mint leaves
2 cups Asian chili garlic sauce
About 4 lbs. beef skirt steaks, fat trimmed

CITRUS SALSA 

4 blood or other fresh oranges, segmented and coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced small
¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 fresh pasilla chile, seeded, deveined and diced
¼ cup fresh lime juice

BLACK BEANS 

1 lb. dried black beans, sorted of debris and rinsed
1 tbsp. salt
1 to 2 cloves garlic
Pinch of dried oregano
¼ cup white onion, chopped
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Asian chili garlic sauce
½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Dash of salt and pepper

QUESADILLA

12 flour tortillas (6-in. wide)
4 cups shredded cheese (e.g. smoked gouda, cotija, fontina)
8 green onions, finely diced

1. Purée in a blender, until smooth: soy sauce; distilled white vinegar; sugar; fish sauce; chile flakes; curry powder; cilantro, ginger, mint, and 2 cups chili garlic sauce.

2. Pound steaks to ¼-inch thickness with mallet or heavy frying pan to tenderize. Add to a very large baking dish and coat with Thai marinade. Chill, covered, turning occasionally, for 24 hours.

3. Cover beans with water and soak overnight.

4. Drain and rinse beans; transfer to 8-qt. pot. Add salt, garlic, and oregano and fill pot with water to just cover beans. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, adding ¼ cup more water after 15 minutes if beans appear dry. Cook until beans are tender, from 30 to 45 minutes total.

5. Stir onion and cider vinegar into beans, and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add chili garlic sauce, chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper.

6. Drain steaks, reserving marinade. Heat grill to high (450° to 550°).

7. Cook steaks 2 minutes. Turn steaks and cook 11/2 minutes more. Baste with marinade, and cook an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to cutting board. Bring any remaining marinade to a boil over medium heat; set aside.

8. Sprinkle a tortilla with ¼ cup cheese and 1/8 of the green onions; top with another tortilla. Repeat 8 times. Gently transfer quesadillas to grill and cook until grill marks appear. Rotate and cook until cross marks appear and quesadillas are crisp, 2-3 minutes total. Slice each quesadilla into four.

9. Slice steaks ½-in. thick across grain. Transfer to serving platter and brush with Thai marinade just before serving. Serve alongside platters of quesadillas, black beans, and citrus salsa.