Chimichurri Sauce

For Chimichurri Butter to use on steaks, see note below

Chimichurri is a pesto-like condiment from Argentina that's made with a base of parsley, garlic and olive oil and often used with grilled meat. Use it on grilled meats, such as T-bone, porterhouse or skirt steak. It is also good as a dipping sauce for empanadas.

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine the parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well, but do not puree.

To make Chimichurri Butter: Use butter in place of olive oil to make an herbed butter for corn on the cob, etc. Can be rolled in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator to harden and used as a steak butter.

Argentinian Charcoal-Grilled Steaks

In Argentina, they grill their steaks over a charcoal grill creating a wonderful crust on them. They are then served with a bit of Chimichurri Sauce as a condiment.

America's Test Kitchen wanted to duplicate this style of grilling. They chose thick 1 1/2" strip steaks so they could stay on the grill long enough to create a crust. Next they wanted to keep the surface of the steak as dry as possible in order to form a good crust. They dried the steaks well with a paper towel, and instead of seasoning with salt, which would draw moisture from the steaks, they mixed 2 Tbsp. kosher salt and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and seasoned them, on all sides including the edges with this mixture. The cornstarch absorbs any moisture the steaks give off and will help to create the crust such as flouring fish for pan frying helps \to create a good crust.

These were placed on a cookie rack over a pan and placed in the freezer uncovered for 30 minutes. They got their fire good and hot and before placing on the grill, sprinkled them with course ground pepper. They were then grill on each side about 2 - 3 minutes, then grilled on both sides again to form the outer crust. Because they were par frozen, they should have a good crust when rare to medium rare (115 - 120° F.). Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Don't forget the Chimichurri Sauce!