Grilled Skirt Steak With Chimichurri

3.2 from 5 ratings

“I love skirt steak, because it’s quick-cooking and extremely flavorful. It’s especially good when rubbed with cumin, garlic, and lime, and then grilled and served with this herb-packed chimichurri sauce. While this is not a traditional chimichurri, it’s similar to a roasted red pepper version I sampled years ago in Buenos Aires. It’s great on steak, but it works well on just about any grilled meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables.” — Anna Watson Carl, author of The Yellow Table CookbookReprinted with permission from The Yellow Table, published in 2015 by Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. © Anna Watson Carl. Photography by Signe Birck

Servings

servings

Ingredients

4 ounce jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 pound skirt steak, cut into four pieces
1 1/2 tablespoon tablespoons ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a food processor, pulse together the roasted red peppers, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Add the parsley, cilantro, mint, and basil and pulse several more times to combine. With the processor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Feel free to add more herbs, vinegar, or red pepper flakes according to your taste buds.
Cover the chimichurri and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving, so that the flavors have time to combine. This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
Place the skirt steak in a shallow (nonmetal) baking dish. Sprinkle with cumin and garlic, and drizzle with lime juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Using your hands, rub the seasoning into the meat until it’s evenly coated. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on a grill pan and heat over high heat until it starts to smoke. Pat the steaks dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill about 3–4 minutes per side for medium rare. (I don’t recommend cooking skirt steak much longer or it will get tough.) The steaks should be rosy on the inside with a nice dark crust on the outside. Let the steaks rest for 5–10 minutes (preferably on a plate to catch the juices) then transfer to a cutting board.
To serve, thinly slice the meat against the grain and arrange on a platter, drizzled with the extra juices. Place the chimichurri in a bowl alongside.