These fancy skirt steak crostini include a concord grape reduction and a creamy Florette cheese! It’s a perfectly exquisite appetizer for an elegant affair, date night, or any event where you really want to impress your guests! They also take just 30 minutes to make!
If you’re serving these appetizers for a Fall party, and want a few other elegant appetizers to pair, try these delightful apricot and goat cheese appetizers, deviled quail eggs or these in-season squash rosettes.
You can even assemble a colorful autumn appetizer centerpiece if you want to keep passed hors d’oeuvres to just extra special ones like these, and allow guests to simply graze around your table! In fact, feel free to help yourself to all of my Autumn recipes for tasty, seasonal inspiration!
Here’s the Process
- First, we’ll make the balsamic grape reduction
- Then, we’ll slice our baguette and prep our skirt steak with a spice rub
- Next, we’ll toast the baguette and quickly sear the steak
- Finally, we’ll assemble our beautiful appetizers
How to Make These Crostini – Step by Step
1. Mince 1 tsp. fresh rosemary and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, add 8 oz. fresh concord grapes, 1 tbsp. honey, and 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar.
3. Use a potato masher or fork to break up grapes in the saucepan. Don’t skip this step because they may explode when they heat up! Turn heat to MEDUIM-HIGH, and allow to boil and reduce for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. After 7 minutes, reduce heat to MEDIUM, add 1 tsp. of minced rosemary and ½ tsp. honey mustard. Stir, and allow to further reduce for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Carefully push sauce through a mesh strainer, leaving only seeds, skins and rosemary. Place sauce in a sealed container until ready to assemble appetizers.
6. Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.) and thinly slice baguette into 18 pieces. Place slices on a baking sheet with a rack. When ready, place baguette slices in oven and toast for 7-10 minutes.
7. Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry both sides of ½ pound skirt steak. Don’t skip this step or you won’t get that magical, crispy crust on the steak.
8. In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. fresh pepper, ½ tsp. onion powder and a pinch of cardamom. Thoroughly rub both sides of steak with spice mixture.
9. Turn heat to HIGH under a sauté pan, and allow it to heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to the pan and then the seasoned skirt steak. Allow it to sear for 3 minutes maximum – not a moment longer. Flip, and sear for just 2 minutes on the other side. Remove and allow it to rest under tin foil for 10 minutes. Then, slice into 18 pieces.
10. Apply a liberal amount of Florette cheese to each slice of baguette.
11. Add a slice of skirt steak.
12. Liberally swipe each piece of skirt steak with balsamic-grape reduction, top with 1 sliced grape, or (champagne grapes) and a single leaf of arugula. Serve to your lucky guests!
Common Questions
Concord grapes are best in this recipe, but if you can’t find them, rather than using concord grape juice, use regular purple grapes. The grape skins and fiber of the fruit helps make the reduction nice and thick.
I found mine at a farmer’s market, but you can often see them in September through October in stores like Whole Foods or specialty food stores.
The steak in this recipe can be served hot or cold, so if you don’t feel like searing steak right as guests arrive, no worries! You can prepare everything ahead of time, assemble, and refrigerate up to 30 minutes before cocktail hour!
Substitute mild, very creamy cheeses if you can’t find Florette, but don’t use ones that are herbed, include truffle or other flavorings. You don’t want the cheese to overpower the steak and concord reduction. Here are a few that substitute perfectly:
• Triple Cream
• Brie
• Sheep’s brie
• Taleggio
• Teleme
• Stracciatella
• Burrata
• Brebicet
A Few Tips
1. I suggest keeping the same cook time, even if your steak is thicker than mine.
I had a VERY thin skirt steak, just over half an inch thick. The steak came out just a little over-medium, so just expect that if you have a steak that’s closer to an inch thick, it will just be perfectly medium. Don’t increase cook time, or the edges may burn.
2. Make sure to mash your grapes before reducing.
Be careful! Those grapes will POP when they get hot! So don’t skip the step to mash with a potato masher or fork to break them up a bit before they get too hot.
More Enchanting Appetizer Recipes
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Skirt Steak Crostini
Equipment
- cutting board and sharp knife
- measuring cup – 8oz. or more
- small mixing bowl
- small sauce pan
- sauté pan
- potato masher
- mesh strainer
- baking sheet with a rack – to toast baguette slices
- paper towel – 1 sheet
- tin foil
Ingredients
For the Reduction Sauce
- 8 oz. concord grapes
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. honey
- ½ tsp. honey mustard
- 1 tsp. rosemary – minced
For the Rest
- ½ pound skirt steak
- 1 pound Florette cheese
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. fresh pepper
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- cardamom – just a pinch
- champagne grapes – or sliced grapes for garnish
- arugula – for garnish
Instructions
- Mince 1 tsp. fresh rosemary and set aside. In a small sauce pan, add 8 oz. concord grapes, 1 tbsp. honey, and 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar.
- Use a potato masher or fork to break up grapes in the sauce pan. Turn heat to MEDUIM-HIGH, and allow to boil and reduce for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 7 minutes, reduce heat to MEDIUM, add 1 tsp. of minced rosemary and ½ tsp. honey mustard. Stir, and allow to further reduce for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Carefully push sauce through a mesh strainer, leaving only seeds, skins and rosemary. Place sauce in a sealed container until ready to assemble appetizers.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.) and thinly slice baguette into 18 pieces. Place slices on a baking sheet with a rack. When ready, place baguette slices in oven and toast for 7-10 minutes.
- Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry both sides of ½ pound skirt steak. In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. fresh pepper, ½ tsp. onion powder and a pinch of cardamom. Thoroughly rub both sides of steak with spice mixture.
- Turn heat to HIGH under a sauté pan, and allow it to heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to the pan and then the seasoned skirt steak. Allow it to sear for 3 minutes maximum – not a moment longer. Flip, and sear for just 2 minutes on the other side. Remove and allow it to rest under tin foil for 10 minutes. Then, slice into 18 pieces.
- Apply a liberal amount of Florette cheese to each slice of baguette, add a slice of skirt steak, liberally swipe each piece of skirt stake with balsamic-grape reduction, top with champagne grapes and a single leaf of arugula.
Notes
- Triple Cream
- Brie
- Sheep’s brie
- Taleggio
- Teleme
- Stracciatella
- Burrata
- Brebicet
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