Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
A hot grill, five minutes of restraint, and a sharp green sauce that cuts through the fat.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Written
Method
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Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it comes closer to room temperature.
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Stir together the parsley, oregano, garlic, ½ cup olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt, then let the chimichurri sit while the grill heats.
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Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat until it’s too hot to hold a hand over comfortably.
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Pat the steak dry, season heavily with salt and pepper on both sides, and rub with the 2 tbsp olive oil.
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Grill undisturbed until deeply charred and it releases easily from the grates, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Flip and cook to the same char on the second side, another 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare.
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Rest the steak on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice thin against the grain.
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Spoon chimichurri over the steak and pass the rest at the table.
Notes
Skirt steak is thin and grain-runs-crooked, which means two things: cook it hot and fast so the interior doesn’t overshoot medium-rare, and slice it against the grain or every piece will be chewy no matter how well you cooked it. Look at the meat before you cut — the direction of the fibers changes across the muscle, so you may need to adjust your angle partway through.
The chimichurri is better after twenty minutes than straight off the cutting board, so make it first and let the garlic and vinegar mellow into the oil. It keeps in the fridge for a few days and is just as good spooned over grilled vegetables or a fried egg.