Flank steak is a very underrated cut of meat in my opinion.  When it is cooked properly it packs a ton of flavor and can be super tender, its probably my favorite cut of beef.  On top of that a chimichurri sauce is, I think, one of the best ways to bring out the flavors of any steak.  In this recipe I cheat a little, I use a sous vide to both cook the meat perfectly and to tenderize the steak.  If you don’t have a sous vide I would highly recommend investing in one as it allows for perfectly cooked steaks every time. This can be made on a screaming hot grill. I served this with some simple roasted potatoes and some roasted peppers and onions.  You can make this as spicy as your pallet allows for.  
 
The chimichurri goes amazing on anything.  I like it on this type of dish, on fajitas, on steak and eggs, and really anything that has beef.
 
This dish pairs well with a nice rich Malbec wine or a nice  jammy red blend wine.
 

Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Chimichurri

Ingredients:

  • 1/2C        Olive Oil
  • 1/4C        Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1oz         Fresh Flatleaf Parsley
  • 1             Small Shallot (Diced)
  • 3             Garlic Cloves (Smashed)
  • 1/2          Fresno Chili (Jalapeno will work if fresno chili isn’t available, Diced)
  • 1/2oz      Fresh Cilantro (this can be left out if you don’t like cilantro)
  • 1oz         Green Onion (Chopped)
  • Juice From 1 Lime
  • Salt and Pepper

 

Directions:

  1. In bowl of a blender or container a stick blender will work in add all ingredients and grind until smooth.  Add in a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper until the seasoning level is to your liking.
  2. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 min prior to eating.  This usually holds for a few days but will need to be stirred up prior to reusing
This isn’t a traditional chimichurri, most of those are hand chopped and have a little more oil.  My version is thicker because the blending process.
 

Overall Recipe   (For this recipe I made some basic roasted potatoes but the buttery potatoes that I made with the Chicken Cordon Blue would work well too.)

Ingredients:

  • 2lbs       Yukon Gold Potatoes (cut into bite size pieces)
  • 1            Red Bell Pepper
  • 1            Yellow Bell Pepper (sliced)
  • 1            Poblano Pepper (sliced)
  • 1            Purple Onion (sliced)
  • 3T         Olive Oil
  • 6           Cloves Garlic (smashed and minced)
  • 2.5lb     Flank Steak
  • 1T         Dried Parsley
  • Tri-Tip Seasoning (Or just use an even amount of chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, Kosher salt.
  • 1T         Coriander (fresh ground if possible)

Directions:

  1. Fill container with water and set sous vide to 130 and allow to come up to temp.  While its warming lightly coat flank steak with olive oil and liberally apply rub. Seal meat in bag using a vacuum sealer or by using the water disbursement method to remove all extra air. Once water is up to temp insert sealed bag into the warm water and allow to cook for at least 1hr, I usually go for 2-3hrs. (If you choose not to use a sous vide and you are just going to sear the steak be sure to apply rub at least 1hr prior to cooking to allow for the rub to soak into the meat.)
  2. Preheat oven to 400. On a baking pan add cut potatoes and half of the minced garlic. Drizzle with olive oil to coat.  Season potatoes with the 1T dried parsley, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper (just enough to lightly coat). After the steak has been in the sous vide for about an hour bake at 400 for 1hr or until potatoes are tender. (These can cook a little longer if you like them to have a more crispy texture.)
  3. On another baking pan add the peppers, onions, and remaining garlic. Coat everything evenly with olive oil, add the coriander, salt, and pepper to coat the peppers and onions.  Bake at 400 for 15 min. This can be started at the very end before you sear the steak so the are still hot. (You could also sauté these to achieve a similar result.)
  4. Remove steak from sous vide and cut open bag.  Start a skillet or grill large enough to sear the steak, the hotter the better.  Once pan is up screaming hot pat steak dry then add to hot pan. Sear for 30sec to 1 min per side, you are just trying to sear the meat not cook it.
  5. After sear remove steak and slice it across the grain on a slight bias, this will allow the steak to feel even more tender.
  6. Add to plate the peppers, onions, and potatoes. Add on some sliced steak and top it with the prepared chimichurri sauce.  (The sauce tastes great on everything on the plate so add as much as you want.)
This recipe can be cooked several different ways so just make it how you are comfortable.  I use the sous vide because it takes the stress away about the internal temperature.  Below are some pictures showing what my sous vide looks like and how the steak looks in the vacuum bag.
 

 

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