How Jacques Pépin Makes His Budget-Friendly ‘Steak Grandma’

Few pairings are better than the rich, beefy profile of steak paired with a zing of acidic, salty flavor to cut through it. That’s exactly why steak and chimichurri have become a time-honored combination that’s tough to beat. And if the prospect of perfectly cooked meat with a bright condiment spooned on top sounds great to you, there’s one easy dish you need to have on your radar.

Jacques Pépin’s “steak grandma” — inspired by his mother-in-law, Julia, who was from Puerto Rico — is packed with flavor and takes less than 30 minutes to make. It’s the kind of dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts, a result that comes down to the smart selection of just a few ingredients.

We happen to have the official recipe for Pépin’s pan-seared skirt steak, as it’s more formally called, but this is also a meal that’s incredibly easy to prepare from memory once you learn how to make it. Because he’s a major proponent of using what you have on hand, the French chef has also shared how to adapt the dish to save money.

You don’t need to splurge on filet mignon to make Jacques Pépin’s “steak grandma.” Instead, the culinary icon recommends a more budget-friendly cut of beef. In his official recipe, he uses skirt steak, but Pépin has previously noted that you could use other cuts he calls “butcher’s steaks,” such as an oyster or flat iron steak. (The latter is his favorite.)

You don’t need to marinate the meat or prepare anything in advance. The only other ingredients you’ll need are anchovies, lime or lemon, garlic, oil (and butter, if desired), scallions or parsley, and salt and pepper. More than half of those components are probably already in your kitchen.

Pépin begins by seasoning his steaks with salt and pepper and preheating a pan with oil and butter. While the skillet heats, the chef zests his citrus — his original recipe calls for a lime, but he notes that you can use a lemon instead if that’s what you have — leaving the zest in a small bowl and reserving the rest of the lime or lemon for later.

Once his pan is piping hot, the chef adds the steaks. As the meat sears on one side, he minces the anchovies and garlic cloves together, then tosses them into the bowl with the lime zest. In his official recipe for the dish, Pépin adds sliced scallions to the garlic and anchovy mixture. However, in other versions of the dish he’s shared online, the chef has used chopped parsley instead of scallions. Cilantro would work too; you just want to incorporate something aromatic and green.

After searing the steaks for a few minutes, Pépin flips them to cook the other side. In one YouTube video where he shows how to make “steak grandma,” the chef offers helpful insight into how you can tell when steaks are ready. He explains that when he gently presses the meat with his finger, “the way it bounces back will tell me how cooked it is. Raw meat is very mushy. When it starts cooking, then it starts bouncing. If it doesn’t bounce back, and it’s just hard, then it’s well-done.”

Pépin removes the steaks from the pan once they’re medium-rare, then lets them rest for a few minutes before serving. While the meat sits, he prepares his simple sauce: The chef pours a splash of water into his skillet to deglaze the fond stuck to the pan’s surface.

Next, he adds the garlic, anchovy, lime zest, and parsley/scallion mixture, giving it a few swirls in the skillet to take the edge off the garlic and let the water reduce slightly. He doesn’t leave the aromatics in the pan for long, turning off the heat after about thirty seconds and pouring them directly over the steaks so the meat is drenched in a flavorful sauce.

For a finishing touch, Pépin squeezes the juice of a lime or lemon over the meat. If you want to taste an entrée that packs a powerful punch of flavor in the very first bite, this is the way to go.