Flank Steak and Chimmichurri
This dish features a transformative addition to almost any dish: chimichurri sauce. The sauce is made from many fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, and cilantro and is combined with shallot, garlic, chile, vinegar, and salt with a bit of olive oil to hold it all together. Chimichurri can serve as a great addition to steaks and roasts, but it is also popularly incorporated with fish, pork sausages, potatoes, and even pizza. The sauce has an Argentinian and Uruguayan origin, but it has made its way into many other cuisines to elevate various dishes. It brings an incredible acidity and a bit of spice that complements savory, umami flavors of different proteins.
Allicin, an incredibly important and commonly overlooked photochemical found in garlic, is the feature of this dish. Allicin is an organosulphur chemical that has been studied and shown to reduce swelling/inflammation and to combat free radicals in the body that accumulate from a multitude of different sources (UV radiation, pollution, fatty/fried foods, etc.) Allicin is the chemical that gives garlic it’s unique flavor and scent. In mammals, the chemical has been shown to induce cell death and prohibit cell proliferation, meaning that is has the potential* to be anti-carcinogenic if utilized properly.
However, interestingly enough this compound is destroyed during cooking processes. Which means….queue Chimichurri sauce!!!! The sauce features raw shallot and garlic that allows for beautiful flavor and cancer-preventing properties!!! Just one more reason why we should all place more importance on eating to heal and prevent disease.
Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25153873/
The recipe:
STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI
ADAPTED FROM BON APPETIT
Yield: 3-4 servings
Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ lb skirt steak (about ½ inch thick), cut in half crosswise
½ a shallot, finely chopped
½ jalapeno, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt, plus more if needed
Ground black pepper
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
2 TBSP finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 TBSP finely chopped oregano
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 TBSP butter
METHOD:
Sprinkle steak lightly with salt and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Combine shallot, jalapeno, garlic, vinegar and ½ tsp salt in a medium bowl. Let sit 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil.
Season with salt if needed. Set aside.
After steak has sat for 30 minutes, pat dry with paper towels and season again with salt and black pepper.
Heat sauté pan over medium high heat, until hot. Quickly drop in butter, then immediately put steak on top of it. Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until meat is cooked to your liking.
Remove steak, transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice and serve with chimichurri sauce.
