Food possesses a magical quality. It can take us to far away places and let us learn about cultures that we might not get to actually visit or experience.
With steaks sizzling on the grill and sangria glasses clanking, my backyard was transformed into a vibrant argentine barbecue. If I only knew a good tango partner, then my night would have been complete!
Grilled meats are a staple in Argentine cuisine and are often accompanied with chimichurri sauce. I put my own spin on the traditional parsley and oregano chimichurri and made a cilantro version.
Grilled Skirt Steak with Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 pound skirt steak
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 onion, finely minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves removed from stems, about 1 cup packed leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Season skirt steak with salt and pepper and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Add in the lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Seal the plastic bag and massage ingredients into skirt steak to incorporate evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Remove skirt steak from refrigerator, take meat out of the plastic bag and place on a plate. Remove any large chunks of garlic. Let skirt steak sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, lemon juice, cilantro, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place skirt steak on a hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes until meat releases easily from the grill. Flip meat over and cook for another 5 minutes for medium rare. Place meat on a clean plate and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Slice across the grain into thin strips. To serve, spoon chimichurri sauce over meat.
Serves 4
This steak looks great. A definite winner at our house! I love switching it up to cilantro. Yum!
Hey Emily!! Yes, I loved the cilantro too!! Enjoy!
Great photos and recipe! I’m drooling and I want to try this recipe now. I always like to see Chimichurri recipes and how it can vary with ingredients. Nice spin using cilantro :)
Thanks Julius! I love taking classic recipes and mixing it up with different ingredients ~ use what you have!! Enjoy!
This looks wonderful. I’m not a fan of parsley, but I adore cilantro, so I love that you’ve used cilantro instead for your chimichurri. I’ll have to try it out!
Hi Carrie ~ I love cilantro too!! Try it out and let me know what you think!!
This looks amazing!
Thanks Jessie!!
I love chimichurri – yours looks fabulous! Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks Donna! Enjoy!
Great recipe!! I love an easy steak recipe! And your photos, omg they are stunning! :)
Hi Kat! Thanks for the great compliment! I love quick and simple steak recipes too!!
Oh yum! This looks amazing! I love your cilantro cimichurri sauce! Your photos are fantastic Emily!
Thanks Katie!! I’m still working on my photography skills ~ need some lessons from you!!
I cut back on red meat so that I can indulge on something great, something extraordinary, and I think I’ve found it right here in this recipe :)
Wow!! What a great compliment!! Hope you enjoy and savor every bite!!
I am all about the cilantro in this beauty! Oh my gosh it’s gorgeous!
Thanks Megan!! I love the cilantro in this too!
yummyy ! take me with you to argentina when you go emily! this dish seems to take you there just fine, all you need is the tango and a rose in hand lol
Thanks Ricky! It will take you to Argentina!! :)
I always wondered what a chimichurri was, for its name is so enticing!
I’m in love with the Argentinian Alfajores cookies, btw :)
I’ll have to try those cookies!
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I found your recipe on Pinterest and cooked it last night for guests. It got rave reviews! Thanks for a recipe that will definitely be used over and over again!