Today’s recipe is from The Versailles Restaurant Cookbook, which features some of the most beloved recipes from Versailles Restaurant—a Miami institution that has been at the heart of the Cuban-American community for decades. Samantha Zaboski, UPF publicist and subsidiary rights coordinator, tried this recipe in her home kitchen.
Here’s why Samantha chose this recipe:
As the vegetarian wife of a devoted carnivore, I wanted a recipe that would honor the specific cut of meat. Skirt steak is a well-marbled cut known for its rich flavor and lends itself well to marinades, rubs, and sauces due to its loose texture. The recipe for Churrasco-Style Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce was just what I was looking for in a steak recipe.
Churrasco-Style Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Churrasco con Salsa Chimichurri
Recipe from The Versailles Restaurant Cookbook
By Ana Quincoces and Nicole Valls
The authors say: When hunger strikes, nothing satisfies like a big, juicy steak. And while our palomilla (minute steak) is delicious and hearty, the Churrasco-Style Steak will stick to your ribs like nobody’s business. The addition of the traditional Argentinean chimichurri is a real treat, and any leftover sauce works well with chicken and fish.
Note: Keep the sauce tightly stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serves 4
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 skirt steaks (about 1 pound each), trimmed of fat and cut in half crosswise
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Chimichurri Sauce:
4 cups flat-leaf parsley (from about 1 large bunch)
6 cloves garlic
½ to ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Rub a generous amount of salt and pepper into both sides of the steaks. Rub the onion powder and garlic powder into the steaks, dividing it evenly.
Heat a gas grill to medium-high or heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the steaks, turning only once, to desired doneness. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. If desired, slice the steaks thinly against the grain before serving. Drizzle some of the chimichurri on the steaks and serve the rest alongside them.
For the chimichurri, pulse the parsley and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red pepper flakes and the oregano.
Note: Add the pepper flakes sparingly, as they add a lot of heat.
Samantha’s verdict:
This recipe used ingredients I already had in my kitchen, was easy to prepare, and took about 20 minutes from start to finish. Preparing the sauce first worked well because cooking the steak itself does not take much time. The largest change I made to the recipe was not heeding the authors’ warning to “add pepper flakes sparingly.” I used Thai chili peppers in the chimichurri with reckless abandon and the heat was my husband’s favorite part of the dish.
The Florida Bookshelf 