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Peppercorn Skirt Steak with Spicy Chimichurri

Prep Time:

1hr-overnight

Cook Time:

10 minutes

Serves:

4 servings

Level:

Easy

One thing that everyone in my life has in common is our immense love for restaurants and eating a good meal together. Whether it's going to eat at an Italian restaurant with my family, getting reservations at an exclusive Japanese steakhouse with friends, or finding local restaurants for a date night with my boyfriend, a lot of my most special memories with those that I love revolve around restaurants. My boyfriend and I love eating any kind latin cuisine and as a Puerto Rican woman, I love eating foods from different Spanish speaking countries and finding the similarities and differences between what I grew up on, and what I'm currently eating. A dish my boyfriend loves is called "Churrasco", or chimichurri steak. So for Valentine's Day, I decided to make my own variation on chimichurri steak and it turned out to be a hit!

Making this dish took a lot of research, both using the internet and actually tasting different chimichurri's. I wanted to make sure I was doing the dish justice, especially because it's a dish I didn't grow up eating. I've found that some people use red wine vinegar and refuse to use anything else, while others are okay with interchanging between white wine vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice. Some use mint in their sauce, others just stick to herbs like oregano, parsley, and cilantro. I decided on a mix of cilantro, oregano, parsley, and dill, which I found to be a delicious combination. I used red wine vinegar, and added a squeeze of lime juice at the end instead of within the sauce.

In terms of the steak, I decided to play around with marinades and really compliment the flavors in the sauce. The biggest thing that truly took this meal over the edge was toasting the peppercorns with some of the seasoning and butter before adding it to the marinade. It created so much depth of flavor, and my steak only marinated for 30 minutes before I cooked it. Imagine leaving it to marinate overnight! The result was a juicy, tender steak with a deep, caramelized and smoky flavor underneath a fresh, tangy, and herby sauce. You'll want to eat this chimichurri right out of the bowl, and this steak could stand just as good on its own. But the two together? Magic!

Try this recipe with different cuts of steak, a pork, this would even taste amazing with some shrimp or salmon! Regardless of the kind of meat you choose, your in for a meal that explodes with flavor and hits every note: salt, heat, sweet, tang, smoke, it's just all around good!

Enjoy this recipe, and happy cooking!

Ingredients

Skirt Steak Seasoning/Marinade

  • 2 pounds skirt steak

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 2 tsp ground coriander

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar

  • drizzle worcestershire sauce

  • 3 tsp roughly ground black peppercorns

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2tbsp salted butter

  • drizzle olive oil

Chimichurri Sauce

  • 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

  • 1 bunch fresh oregano, finely chopped

  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

  • 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 red chile, seeds removed

  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (more or less to preference)

  • 1/4 cup-1/2 cup olive oil

  • pinch of white sugar

Optional:

  • flaky sea salt

  • lime juice

Directions:

  1.  In a medium-large bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, and brown sugar. In a separate small saucepan, toast the peppercorns, coriander, and chili flakes in 1 tbsp butter on low-medium heatuntil fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). The butter should be warm, not scalding or splattering! Add the butter and seasoning mixture to the bowl of dry seasonings and add a drizzle of olive oil and worcestershire sauce. Mix until the ingredients become a paste. I always taste my wet marinades before adding them to the meat! If it tastes good to me as a paste, then that tells me it will be good once it goes on the meat. 

  2. Add the steak to the marinade and massage into the meat until completely coated. Cover the meat and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour, if possible overnight.

  3. While the steak marinades, make the chimichurri sauce. Finely chop the parsely, oregano, dill, cilanro, red chile, and garlic cloves, making sure to de-seed the red chile. Using a mortar and pestle, add in the pinch of sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and garlic cloves and begin mixing until it becomes a paste (the sugar and salt act as emulsifiers and break down the garlic, helping to create a smooth paste). In a small bowl , combine the garlic paste, herbs, chile, red wine vinegar, and olive oil until combined. Taste as you go and modify the measurments to your preference. Once the sauce is to your liking, place in the fridge to rest and allow the ingredients to meld together. 

  4. Take out the steak and allow to come to room temp, about 30 minutes. Using a cast iron or non stick skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and the last tbsp of butter before adding half of the steak to the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes each side until deep brown in color (steak will be medium rare-medium at this stage. I find skirt steak tastes best around this temperature, but if you want a medium-medium well leave for another 2 minutes per side). Transfer the steak to plate and cover with foil to rest. Add a bit more olive oil and repeat this step with the second steak. 

  5. Let the steaks rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing on the diagnol into strips, cutting against the grain. Arrange on a plate and top with the chimichurri sauce, an optional pinch of flakey sea salt, and lime juice. Serve with some crispy potatoes from my buttermilk chicken thighs recipe, some roasted green beans, and enjoy!

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