Chimichurri Skirt Steak with Grilled Asparagus
By: Michael Norpell
Published: Friday, August 5, 2011 - 11:09am

Ingredients




Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup flat leaf parsley, lightly packed & rough chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
3 to 5 garlic cloves, rough chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Skirt Steak:
2 skirt steaks
Kosher Salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Grilled Asparagus:
1 pound green or white asparagus, woody ends snapped off & discarded
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation

1 Place all chimichurri sauce ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor & pulse until well chopped. While the food processor is going, slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture until blended.  Reserve half of the sauce to serve on the side with the meal. 2 Season skirt steaks with salt & pepper on bother sides.  Spoon the remaining chimichurri sauce over the steaks & let marinate for 30 minutes up to overnight. 3 Pre-heat the grill to 350° to 400° F. 4 In a plastic resealable bag, add asparagus, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper.  Shake to coat & place in a grill basket. 5 Place the steak & grill basket of asparagus directly over a hot grill.  Gently toss the asparagus for even grilling & baste with garlic, olive oil mixture – 10 minutes. 6 Grill the skirt steak to desired temperature – 5 to 8 minutes per side. 7 Remove from grill & let steak rest for 10 minutes before slice long strips.  Spoon reserved chimichurri sauce over steak & serve with asparagus on the side.

About

Impromptu dinner guests?
Home late from work and starving?
Craving something exotic?
Chimichurri is the answer to all the above questions.  Chimichurri is an Argentinian condiment or marinade consisted of fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil.  The ingredients are not exotic, however you will feel transported to a cafe in Buenos Aires eating this Gaucho-style skirt steak.  After researching different recipes for chimichurri on the internet, I figured out the key ingredients – parsley, garlic, lemon and olive oil.  Many recipes called for cilantro.  I don’t mind the herb, but cilantro has a taste either you love or you hate.  My recipe has no cilantro, but to keep the brightness and herbal bite from cilantro, I added fresh mint in the mixture.  Chimichurri is a highly versatile sauce for any grilled meat as pork, lamb, chicken or any mild white fish.  Grilled vegetables are awesome when lightly tossed in this condiment. 
Grilling the asparagus is the secret to this vegetable.  My childhood memories of boiled asparagus left me disliking this vegetable for years.  Tossing the asparagus in a simple mixture of minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper then grilling the vegetable in a grill basket gives a smoky, nutty taste.  Have you ever seen the white or albino asparagus?  Replace the traditional green with the white in this preparation and your meal presentation goes from everyday to five-star special occasion.