Guess I’m in a nostalgic mood these days. Love these old movies…and tap dancing? Who could be better than the Nicholas Brothers? Just look at these guys cut it–wow! Gets me in the mood for a little Chimichurri sauce, that Argentine condiment that goes great with skirt steak and just about everything else. When I first taught this dish in my cooking classes, my students couldn’t get enough of it. So easy to make, yet packed with Latino flavor. One bite and you’ll be tap dancing too.
Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Skirt steak is a delectable cut of beef, which comes from the plate under the rib meat. Though it can be a little tough, it is extremely flavorful–one of the portions known as a “butcher’s cut” because for a long time only the butchers knew how delicious they were and kept them to themselves. To tenderize these steaks, that come in long strips, I add a spicy dry rub and let them sit before grilling. The tangy and herbacious Chimichurri sauce has a little bit of heat and is a tantalizing bright contrast to the rich meat.
For 4 people, start with 2 pounds of skirt steak. Trim a little bit of the fat, especially removing any sinewy silver skin with a sharp knife. In a small bowl, make the dry rub: mix together smoked paprika or paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Sprinkle over the meat, drizzle with a little olive oil, and rub into steaks. Let stand for up to an hour.
This sauce will make your taste buds sing. It’s a great accompaniment to the skirt steak, but will go equally well with chicken and fish. Now, I know that not everyone is in love with cilantro (which I love to mix with the parsley here), but this condiment is just as delicious–and authentic–when made with fresh oregano leaves. When chopping the herbs, slide your knife along the stems to remove the leaves–for this recipe, it’s fine if there are some stems mixed in as well.
To make the Chimichurri Sauce: in a blender or food processor, gently blend together lots of fresh parsley leaves, cilantro or oregano, garlic cloves, a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, red wine vinegar, a bit of lemon or lime juice to balance the acid, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. You don’t want to process this finely. Slowly add the olive oil until the sauce is emulsified, but still chunky in texture.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat a grill or grill pan and brush with oil. Cook the strips of steak over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes on each side, until nicely seared. Place on a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and serve with the Chimichurri sauce and Smashed Potatoes. Shake your maracas!
Serves 4:
2 pounds skirt steak
Dry Rub:
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil
Chimichurri Sauce:
3 to 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cups parsley leaves and/or cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
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Thanks, Dana! Let me know how it he likes it…
Yum, this sounds so good. I’m going to make it for my father-in-law, who came from Argentina!