Home » Recipes » Beef

Skirt Steak Pinwheels

ByMiguel Raya
Jump to Recipe

This recipe is sponsored by True Value. All opinions and cooking are my own.

These steak pinwheels are skirt steak that has been pounded thin with spinach and cream cheese, roasted red peppers and Colby Jack inside. Rolled, stringed and skewered then grilled on high and basted with garlic parsley butter. You’ll get 4 pinwheels from 2 skirt steaks and you want to pull them at 140. Cheese oozing out of the middle.

Grilled skirt steak pinwheels in a baking dish, sliced open to reveal spinach, roasted red pepper, and Colby Jack filling Save

What Goes Into Steak Pinwheels

Skirt steak pinwheel ingredients: grass-fed skirt steak, fresh spinach, roasted red bell peppers, and shredded Colby Jack cheese on a wood cutting board Save
Ingredient Notes
Skirt steak2 that are around 1 lb each.
Spinach and cream cheeseI used 1 bag and half a block.
Roasted red peppersJarred ones work great.
Colby JackGrated.
SeasoningOn both sides.
Butter, parsley and garlicFor the baste.
Twine and skewersTo hold them together.

See the recipe card below for exact amounts.

Pounding It Thin

Skirt steak being flattened with a wooden rolling pin on a butcher block cutting board Save

Take the skirt steak and pound it out with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer before you add any fillings.

The steak is already thin but it has these lines that run through it that are thicker than others. If you try to roll the steak with those ridges in there it’s not going to roll as well. By pounding it out you’re making the entire steak one thickness. Which allows it to roll better and allows the filling to be one thickness across the steak.

It also breaks down the grain of the meat which helps with the twine holding it together.

Roll It

Hands in black gloves rolling skirt steak filled with creamy spinach, roasted red bell peppers, and grated Colby Jack cheese on a cutting board Save

When you roll the entire length of the steak you end up with one giant pinwheel. Which will take longer to cook to the middle. So we roll half of the steak, cut it and roll the other half.

Now you have two pinwheels that will cook at 400 degrees and reach 140 on the inside. Without burning on the outside.

Raw skirt steak pinwheels stuffed with creamy spinach, roasted red bell peppers, and Colby Jack cheese, tied with butcher's twine on a cutting board Save

String them with 2 strings each. One towards each end. Skewer each one. The skewer helps with flipping them.

How I Made Steak Pinwheels

Pound out your skirt steaks with a rolling pin.

Season both sides.

Raw skirt steak being generously seasoned with steak seasoning on a wooden cutting board Save

Cook your spinach down with the cream cheese.

Dice up your roasted red peppers.

Add spinach to each steak. Followed by roasted red peppers and Colby Jack.

Flattened skirt steak topped with creamy spinach, roasted red bell peppers, and Colby Jack cheese, ready to roll into pinwheels Save

Roll half of the steak and cut it. Then roll the other half.

String with two pieces of twine each. Skewer them.

Two skirt steak stuffed pinwheels tied with butcher's twine on skewers, filled with spinach, roasted red bell peppers, and Colby Jack cheese, ready to grill Save

Grill on high heat about 400. Flip every 3 minutes until nicely charred.

Skirt steak stuffed pinwheels on skewers grilling over charcoal with spinach, roasted red peppers, and Colby Jack filling visible Save

Melt your butter with parsley and garlic paste. Baste the pinwheels twice.

Skirt steak stuffed pinwheels grilling over charcoal, being basted with garlic-parsley butter with visible spinach filling Save

Pull at 140. Let rest, remove twine and slice.

Check the recipe card for times and temps.

Why 140?

Sliced skirt steak stuffed pinwheel showing creamy spinach, roasted red bell peppers, and melted Colby Jack cheese filling Save

I like to pull them at 140. USDA says to take whole cuts of beef to 145 so go by that if that’s your comfort zone.

Since these are rolled around melted cheese there isn’t much point in taking them past 140. Skirt steak gets tough quick.

Save

Author’s Notes

This Is All It Takes

Pinwheels look fancy, but this is all it takes.

Let them rest and slice right into them and see all the cheese. These are first up for game day.

Miguel

Tips From Miguel

Grilled skirt steak stuffed pinwheels on skewers basted with garlic-parsley butter on a white platter Save
  • Make sure to pound your steak thin. Rolling pin works best.
  • Cook the spinach and cream cheese together.
  • Roll the steak half way and cut. You will get 2 out of each steak.
  • Use 2 strings and a skewer.
  • Baste twice.
  • Let them rest.

What You Need From True Value

Brush to baste with.

Sharp knife.

Tongs.

Seasoning that you enjoy.

Pound the steak. Add your fillings and roll. String it, skewer it. Grill at 400 and pull at 140.

Enjoy the cheese pull.

All my gear came from True Value. Check out one near you.

FAQ

Can I use flank steak?

Yes just know it will be a little thicker. You will want to pound it out more and maybe give it a few extra minutes.

Can I prepare these ahead?

Yes roll, string and skewer them the day before. Store in the refrigerator and grill when ready.

What if I don’t have a rolling pin?

Use a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan.

What temperature should I pull steak pinwheels?

I pull mine at 140. The USDA recommends 145 for whole cuts of beef, so go by that if that’s your comfort zone.

Related Recipes

My Gear

Everything I cook with lives here: linktr.ee/cooking_with_fire___

Explore More Recipes

Chicken | Beef | Pork | Seafood

cwfeats.com

Grilled skirt steak pinwheels in baking dish, sliced open to reveal spinach, roasted red pepper, and Colby Jack filling Save

Skirt Steak Pinwheels with Spinach and Colby Jack

Skirt steak pounded thin, layered with creamy spinach and cream cheese, diced roasted red peppers and grated Colby Jack, rolled, tied and skewered. Grilled on high around 400°F with a garlic parsley butter baste and pulled at 140°F. Two skirt steaks make four pinwheels.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rest Time 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 pinwheels
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pinwheels
  • 2 skirt steaks About 1 lb each.
  • 10 oz fresh spinach One bag.
  • 4 oz cream cheese Half a block.
  • 0.5 cup roasted red bell peppers Jarred, finely diced.
  • 1.5 cup grated Colby Jack cheese
  • Your favorite steak seasoning Both sides.
  • Butcher’s twine and wooden skewers
Garlic Parsley Butter
  • 1 stick salted butter melted
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp garlic paste

Equipment

  • Grill On high, around 400°F.
  • Rolling pin or meat mallet For pounding the steak thin.
  • Sharp knife For cutting the roll in half and slicing.
  • Butcher’s twine Two pieces per pinwheel.
  • Skewers One through each pinwheel for flipping.
  • Basting brush
  • Tongs
  • Instant-Read Thermometer

Method
 

Prep
  1. Lay the skirt steaks flat on a cutting board and pound them out with a rolling pin or meat mallet until they are one even thickness. Season both sides generously.
  2. Cook the spinach in a skillet until fully wilted, then add the cream cheese and cook until creamy and combined. Finely dice the roasted red peppers.
Build and Roll
  1. Spread the creamy spinach evenly over each steak. Add the diced roasted red peppers, then the grated Colby Jack.
  2. Starting from the long side, roll each steak tightly halfway. Cut it, then roll the remaining half. You get two pinwheels from each steak.
  3. Tie each pinwheel with two pieces of twine, one toward each end. Run a skewer through each one to make flipping easier.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to high, around 400°F. Grill the pinwheels, flipping about every 3 minutes, until nicely charred.
  2. Melt the butter with the dried parsley and garlic paste. Baste the pinwheels twice while they cook.
  3. Pull at about 140°F internal. Rest a few minutes, remove the twine and skewers, and slice.

Notes

Doneness: Miguel pulls these at 140°F. The USDA recommends 145°F for whole cuts of beef. Cook to where you are comfortable. Skirt steak toughens quickly past medium, and the cheese is already melted.
Pound it thin: Skirt steak has thick ridges that will not roll. One even thickness rolls tight and lets the filling sit evenly.
Roll half, cut, roll the rest: One full-length roll is too big to cook through before the outside burns. Two per steak is the right size for 400°F.
Two strings and a skewer: The twine holds the filling in. The skewer is for flipping without the roll coming apart.
Timing: Times are estimates. The 400°F, 3 minute flips, two bastes and 140°F pull are as given.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Save

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating