Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

I really thought it might happen this summer. They say . . .

     “If you think it enough . . . and really believe it . . . it could happen.” 

It didn’t happen!

It simply isn’t in my genes. In the summer time, I love to cook, bake, bike, run, hike and play the piano. I don’t enjoy gardening!  For the time being . . . I’ll just pretend.

It’s that time again. The summer is flying by with a pace that’s hard to keep up with. For those of you who have asked and are wondering . . . my little sis, is thriving with her new kidney. She is still trying to re-gain her strength, keep meds & food down, but has done it all with a smile on her face. My mom & dad as well as her husband’s family have helped tirelessly. We are ever so thankful to the donor and his family. We know that they are feeling grief and loss and our thoughts & prayers are with them everyday.  Thank you to all who have asked and been concerned.

We are knee deep again in the garden. Little green peas and new red potatoes have been a nice side for almost every meal. The corn is thriving, but still a bit too young.

For a couple of weeks, you could hear an audible b-u-z-z lurking around the raspberry bushes. That’s a sign of things quickly coming. They came . . . they are still here . . . and they don’t want to go home!

Looking around my back yard, you’ll see a lot of brightly colored raspberry bushes. The berries are beautiful . . . the size of my thumb. Picking is painstakingly precise. Those berries are back with a red vengence, every other day. My better half is my partner in crime though, and it’s a great opportunity to catch up with each other.  It’s funny though, I seem to do most of the talking and I think he just pretends to listen.

He’s seriously more serious about these berries than I am!

It takes me about 5 minutes to thumb through a magazine. I usually head straight for the recipe section. The grill is my friend in the summer time, so when Better Homes & Garden’s had a recipe for Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Chimichurri, I quickly tore it out of the magazine for safe keeping. Knowing that a small package of Flat Iron Steaks was lying dormant in my berry laden freezer, I grabbed it and let it thaw.

Chimichurri?  What the crap is Chimichurri? I was not up on my Chimichurri yet?

(Hint:  It’s not made with grilled Asparagus.)

It’s so very fresh tasting & super good on Grilled Flat Iron Steaks.

For the steak:

You’ll want to trim any extra fat from your Flat Iron steak. Place the steak on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.

For the rub: In a small bowl combine salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

Sprinkle mixture evenly over both sides of each steak; rub in with your fingers. Cover with plastic wrap; marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.

FYI:  The cut:  Flat Iron Steak is a lot like flank steak but is better marbled; it is second in tenderness only to tenderloin steak. It’s also known as Top blade steak.  These steaks are at their most juicy and flavorful at medium rare to medium. If you cook them anymore you will lose quality & taste.  Most important after grilling:  let rest 10 minutes before serving. It makes all the difference in the world.

It’s time to get your Chimichurri on.

Chimichurri hails from Argentina, where it’s most commonly used on grilled beef, but it’s also great on grilled chicken or fish. If you want to make the Chimichurri ahead of time, just prepare it without the vinegar and chill in an airtight container. Bring it back to room temperature and stir in the vinegar just before serving.

In a food processor or blender combine 1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves, 1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley leaves, 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar, 2 cloves roughly chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cumin, and 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper.

Make sure you use fresh garlic cloves. I’ve made this with garlic powder instead, and it just doesn’t do it justice. Chop. Chop.

With processor or blender running, slowly add 1/4 cup olive oil through the opening in the lid in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is nice and creamy and smooth.

You will have a small bowl of beautiful bright green Chimichurri.  It smells like a fresh cut field of grass sprinkled with garlic. Yum.

Steak . . . meet Chimichurri.   What a nice pair.

My notes:  The first couple of times making this sauce, I didn’t alter anything about the original recipe. However  . . . you know me. I’ve used red wine and white wine vinegar, and we prefer the red. I will probably only use – 2 tablespoons of vinegar, instead of 1/4 cup as the recipe suggests. I can always use a bit more olive oil, if the sauce consistency seems a bit too thick. It is very good, but I’m not a strong vinegar lover. A little goes a long way for me.

My conclusion: (2 tablespoons of vinegar would be perfect.)

 

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