Premake the Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 head (about 1.5 – 2 cup) fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (chop the stems off)
- 1 head (about 1.5 – 2 cup) fresh chopped cilantro leaves (chop the stems off)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red chili pepper (from one small chili pepper – fresh is best!) or use ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes if only available
- 1 tspn heaping minced garlic
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Begin by chopping the dry ingredients. Finely chop the parsley, oregano, chili pepper, and garlic.I recommend hand chopping for best results. Once chopped, transfer the ingredients to a small bowl.
Next, stir everything together. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir until all the ingredients are well combined. The chimichurri sauce is now ready to be served immediately or stored in the fridge according to the instructions provided above.
TIPS
The fresh minced garlic with the red wine vinegar really carries the herbs. Also if you can get a fresh red chili – it is well worth it. I did not have fresh oregano, but Im sure it is amazing.
This cause comes from a Mediterranean tradition such as Italians who emigrated to Argentina and Peru.
The Flank Steaks with Coffee Rub
- 2 lbs of flank steak (or flap, skirt or any type)
- 2 tbsp coffee grounds – DO NOT USE instant. (dark is good, Espresso finely ground is better)
- 2 tbps dark brown sugar (go with 3 if you like sweeter
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (per taste)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator.
In a small bowl, combine the coffee grounds with brown sugar, paprika, and all other spices to create a coffee rub.
Sprinkle half of the coffee rub on one side of the steaks, then repeat on the other side. Massage the mixture into the steaks.
Allow the coffee-rubbed steaks to rest for about 15 to 30 minutes until they come to room temperature.
Grill the steaks over medium to medium-high heat, approximately 450 degrees, to the desired level of doneness. Keep the grill open. It may only take 4 minutes per side. When you think you are there, cut into the steak and look. If there is more to go, you can keep the grill open and flip the steak over and over every 20 seconds or so. For optimal flavor, it is recommended to serve the steaks medium rare.
Once the steaks are cooked, transfer them to a plate, cover them with foil, and let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.
TIPS
The number one tip is that this needs to be served hot! The steak is not fatty so the warmer that the steak is the more succulent it will be to taste. Once it gets cold, the steak can get very tough.
I know 2 lb of steak will look like too much but the steak is so thin that it dries up and 2 lb is a perfect portion for 4 people.
I grew up with Flank, but feel free to try Flap or Skirt. Basically any thin cut will do.
I don’t usually barbecue but wow, the rub together with the Char of the barbecue really makes the steak flavors come out. Also the steak is so long that you might need a barbecue just to cook it.
You might have to play around with the balance of coffee to brown sugar. Not all coffee is the same strength, or the same ground texture. If you wanted to standardize it you might just want to get fine pre-ground espresso or put your home coffee rinds into a Ninja blender. I didn’t bother, as I’m not too picky.
The other thing with this is that you’ll find the more chimichurri sauce on top of the steak the more you will want the robustness of the rub. In my case I could even go for the three tablespoons of coffee because I like to use a lot of chimichurri sauce. Others who don’t use so much may not like the strong Taste of coffee and therefore two tablespoons would be recommended.
This dish goes amazing with polenta and beets as sides. See these recipes here.
