5:30 Challenge: Top steaks with chimichurri for a quick summer dinner
Forget A1 or compound butter. The herb-packed Argentinian sauce chimichurri is the one of the best condiments you can put on a steak. And while I’ll be happy to eat steak with chimichurri all year long, the combination truly shines in the summer.
For the steaks, choose quick-cooking thin cuts, such as rib-eye, sirloin or New York strips between 3/4 to 1-inch thick. These will go from raw to medium-rare in less than five minutes. You can sear the steaks inside in a cast-iron skillet (be prepared for smoke) or outside on a gas grill. (The recipe will work on charcoal as well, but it’ll take close to 30 minutes to get the grill ready.) Season generously with salt, then coat the steaks, not the skillet or grill grates, with oil — you need just enough fat to provide a conduit for the heat. Any excess will burn and create acrid flavors and more smoke.
Start preparing the chimichurri sauce before you cook the steak. Begin by finely chopping red onion or shallot and letting it soak in red wine vinegar for however long you’re attending to the meat. This step will mellow the bite of the onion just enough to balance the flavor of the sauce. While the finished steak rests, add the remaining chimichurri ingredients — equal parts chopped parsley, chopped cilantro and olive oil — to the vinegar mixture. You can vary the herb additions to suit your taste; I often like a little fresh thyme or oregano in my chimichurri, and it’s fine to play with the ratios as well. Either way, don’t skimp on the olive oil.
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion or shallot
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless rib-eye, sirloin or New York strip steaks, 3/4 to 1-inch thick
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- On the side: baked sweet potatoes
- In a medium bowl, combine the onion and vinegar. Let sit while cooking the steak.
- Place a large cast-iron or carbon steel skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. While the skillet is heating, generously season the steaks with salt.
- After 5 minutes of heating the skillet, rub the steaks with just enough oil to coat then transfer to the skillet. Cook, flipping every 30 to 60 seconds, until the meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare doneness, 3 to 5 minutes total. Adjust the heat, if needed, to prevent excess charring. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. (Alternatively, grill the steaks, following the same seasoning and cooking directions, on a gas grill over high heat.)
- While the steaks rest, finish the chimichurri by stirring the parsley and cilantro into the onion-vinegar mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice the steaks. Serve with the sauce and baked sweet potatoes on the side. Serves 4 to 6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4 (using rib-eye): 594 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 49 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 44 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 140 milligrams cholesterol, 1,259 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
