chimichurri grilled skirt steak
Originally from Argentina, chimichurri is an olive oil based green sauce of fresh herbs and garlic commonly paired with grilled meats. It is hands down my favorite way to enjoy grilled skirt steak.
One of my absolute favorite meals while in Long Island this month was af the most unassuming little Colombian restaurant down the street from where we were staying. It didn’t look like much from the outside, but the lines around the building each evening were a clear indication that we needed to give it a try. The marinated skirt steak with house made chimichurri was a clear winner for our main course, but deciding on sides proved to be quite challenging. Thinking why choose when you have someone to indulge with you, I requested an order of both fried tostones and maduros.
If you find yourself near Westbury, NY you must check out Pollos El Paisa. The skirt steak was incredibly tender and bursting with flavor. The maduros were perfectly caramelized and although the tostones were the largest I have ever seen, they were evenly cooked to perfection. Having almost gone back for round two the following night and still craving their incredible skirt steak long after I returned home to California, I set out to grill my own.
The key to tender skirt steak is a quality marinade and this chimichurri fits the bill. Its flavors are bright from the fresh herbs, bold from the fresh shallot and garlic, and rounded off with just the amount of tang from the red wine vinegar. Don’t worry if you don’t have a grill, I used our Le Creuset cast iron grill pan and it seared the steak just beautifully. I paired the skirt steak with our favorite black bean, mango and avocado salsa and some coconut rice (just sub coconut milk for water when cooking) and we had the most delicious summer meal. Fire up the grill this weekend and give a personal favorite of mine a try with this chimichurri grilled skirt steak!
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb inside skirt steak
- Combine garlic, shallot, jalapeño, salt and red wine vinegar in a bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley and oregano. Whisk in olive oil until fully incorporated.
- Place skirt steak in a large ziplock bag and cover with half of the chimichurri sauce. Seal and toss gently to coat steak evenly. Cover remaining chimichurri sauce and chill until ready to serve.
- Marinate meat in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours until ready to grill.
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry.
- Grill for 6 minutes, rotate 45 degrees and grill for an additional 6 minutes on the first side. Flip over and grill for an additional 6-8 minutes on the second side for a medium-rare cook.
- Remove from grill and let rest on a clean cutting board for 5-10 minutes before slicing into strips.
- Serve with reserved chimichurri sauce.
GADGETS
The Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Grill yields beautiful grill marks even when grilling indoors.
The OXO Good Grips Chopper quickly and evenly chops all ingredients for the chimichurri. Cleanup is a breeze with this dishwasher safe chopper!
