Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri Steak! Chimichurri Sauce and Steak is a match made in heaven, arguably one of the BEST sauce for steak in the world!

This famous sauce from Argentina is made with parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil. It’s quick to make and will take your next steak dinner to a whole new level!

Chimichurri Steak

I think of Chimichurri as South America’s answer to pesto. Except…..dare I say it…better. It’s just as flavourful, but fresher, not as rich because of the slight tang from vinegar and plenty of garlic.

And here’s the secret about Chimichurri Sauce. 

By itself, Chimichurri Sauce is kind of bland.

However, when you eat it with steak, that is when the magic happens. It is incredible. Seriously SO GOOD. Chimichurri Sauce and Steak are a match made in heaven. Like tomato and basil. Cheese and wine. They are just “meant to be”.

Just one bite of Chimichurri Steak is all you need to understand why South Americans are mad for this stuff!

What goes in Chimichurri Sauce

Here’s what you need. It’s especially great if you’ve got an abundant supply of home grown parsley because it’s a great way to use lots of it!

You’ll see plenty of variations around the place, but this is a classic version. Some versions use fresh red chilli instead of dried. While fresh chilli looks better because you get more vibrant bits of red in the Chimichurri Sauce, dried pepper flakes adds better flavour than fresh.

Chimchurri Sauce – super easy to make!

Chimichurri Sauce is ridiculously easy to make. If you have a food processor. 🙂 For convenience, I usually throw everything into a food processor but I sometimes chop the parsley by hand too.

Best steak for Chimichurri Steak?

Chimchurri Sauce is brilliant paired with any steak suited to grilling. But in a nod to its Argentinian roots, I like to pair it with cuts traditionally used in South America such as flat iron, flank and skirt steak. Flat Iron is my personal favourite – it’s softly marbled with fat so it’s tender and has a great beefy flavour. I prefer it over more expensive cuts like tenderloin – better texture and flavour!

While Chimichurri Sauce is especially great paired with the strong beefy flavours of steak, it’s also terrific with other proteins – chicken, turkey, fish, prawns/shrimp – as well as vegetables.

It keeps for a couple of days in the fridge and freezes very well too. So it’s a terrific one to have on hand for quick steak dinners! – Nagi x

Chimichurri Steak

Ingredients

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

• 1 cup parsley leaves , tightly packed
• 1 tbsp oregano leaves , tightly packed (still lovely without)
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 0 - 2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional - adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup (65 ml) red wine vinegar (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil

STEAK

• 700g / 1.4lb flat iron, flank, skirt steak or other steak of choice, at room temperature (Note 3)
• Salt and pepper

• Instructions

  CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

  • Place all ingredients except oil in a food processor. Whizz until parsley is finely chopped, but not pureed - see video or photos. Alternatively chop parsley by hand.
  • Transfer into a small bowl. Add oil, gently stir. Set aside for 1 hour before use, overnight is even better!
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days (Note 3). Makes 3/4 cup.

  STEAK

  • Take steak out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
  • Heat BBQ or heavy based skillet with 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil over high heat until smoking.
  • Sprinkle each side of steak generously with salt and pepper.
  • Add steak and cook to your liking. 
  • Cook times: for steak 2cm / 4/5” thick, 2 min on each side for medium rare (until internal temp is 52C/125F, will rise to 54C/130F after resting) OR 2 1/2 min each side for medium (internal temp 57C/135F, will rise to 60C/140F). 
  • Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 - 10 minutes.
  • Cut thin slices against the grain (see photo below) and serve with Chimichurri Sauce on the side so people can help themselves.

  1. Vinegar - Can be substituted with sherry vinegar or other mild vinegar. Don't use balsamic or normal white vinegar - too harsh.

  2. Salt - There is not that much salt in the Chimichurri Sauce, the assumption is that it's served with a well seasoned steak.

  3. Best steak for Chimichurri Sauce - in South America, cuts such as flank, flat iron and skirt are popular for serving with Chimchurri Sauce because they have really great beefy flavour that pairs so well with this fresh, zingy sauce.

  However, Chimichurri will pair beautifully with ANY steak!

  4. Slicing Steak - Chimichurri Steak is traditionally served sliced. No matter what steak you use - but this is especially important for skirt, flank, baguette, flat iron and similar South American cuts, ensure you slice thinly against the grain.

  To do this, place the cooked steak in front of you and you'll see the fibres running in one direction. Cut directly through this fibres. See photo below. This ensures every bite is beautifully tender. 

  5. Storage - Because Chimichurri sauce has raw garlic in it, it should be consumed within 3 days, for food safety reasons. Can be frozen too - thaw then use!

  6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings, flat iron steak, and that all sauce is consumed.

  

  NUTRITION INFORMATION:

  Serving: 183gCalories: 491kcal (25%)Carbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 38g (76%)Fat: 35g (54%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 105mg (35%)Sodium: 393mg (17%)Potassium: 707mg (20%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Vitamin A: 1285IU (26%)Vitamin C: 20.9mg (25%)Calcium: 83mg (8%)Iron: 4.3mg (24%)

Source : Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce