Grilled Marinaded Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Your family and guests will love this grilled marinaded steak with chimichurri sauce recipe. It's easy to make, cooks fast, and tastes great.

WHAT IS CHIMICHURRI?

I love to say the word “chimichurri” because it sounds exactly like what it is in texture, color, and flavor. Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce consisting of parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, and small fresh red chilies, all mixed together in a vibrant green herbaceous condiment. And somewhat surprisingly, it goes exceptionally well with grilled meats.

Although the recipe's origin, and even the name chimichurri, is not really clear, it was most likely invented by the cowboys (gauchos) of the high cattle plains of Argentina. Argentina has a long and vast history of cattle raising, with large tracts of land dedicated to ranching. At night, the gauchos would sit around the campfire, grilling meat for dinner and adding chimichurri sauce as they ate. Except for olive oil, which they carried in their saddle bags, most chimichurri ingredients were wild and easily foraged. The world later discovered that this very simple-to-prepare and delicious sauce is the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats.

To be fair, there are many unproven versions of how the sauce and name came about, and all claim to be correct, but we’ll let the food historians worry about that. We’re just thankful that the gauchos really know how to cook beef.

Types of Steak and Beef Used for Grilled Marinaded Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

You can use a variety of cuts of meat for this recipe. Just go with what is available from your local grocery store. I am using flap meat (ala carne asada meat).

You can substitute other cuts of meat for flap meat, but you don’t need to be a butcher to know where similar cuts of meat are located on a side of beef. While they might not all come from the same part of the cow, that really doesn’t matter. Just look for other cuts that are long and thin and have similar grain and texture.

A few interchangeable examples are skirt steak, flank steak, hanger steak, and flat iron steak.

FLAP MEAT WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

What is this cut of meat with the funny sounding name? You probably know it as carne asada meat, found in most taco shops. But this fabulously flavorful and economical cut of meat can easily be found at your local grocery store.

In this recipe, we will marinate and grill this versatile flap meat until a delightful crusty char is achieved. As the marinade and fat in the meat are introduced to the coals, the meat is caramelized, creating a luscious texture and delectable flavor. But wait, there’s more!

We are also adding a tangy, herby sauce that pairs well with charred meats invented by the cowboys of Argentina, called “chimichurri.” The one-two punch of the combination of the charred meat and the chimichurri sauce is an unbeatable, remarkable match.

WHAT IS FLAP MEAT?

Flap meat comes from the bottom sirloin portion of a cow and is a long, thin, fibrous cut of meat and is often considered a less desirable piece of beef. This is why it is mostly used in recipes like carne asada, Philly cheese steaks, fajitas, and braised stews like the Cuban ropa vieja, or “old clothes.”

But if cooked the right way, the adaptable flap meat reveals its hidden secrets of remarkable flavor and tenderness. Flap meat also enjoys a generous bath in a marinade, which helps intensify its robust meatiness. We use an olive oil, vinegar, and herb marinade for our flap meat recipe.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR GRILLED MARINADED STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

• Let the meat sit in the marinade – Because of the porousness of the thin flap meat, the marinade has a great chance to really enhance the flavor and texture of the meat. So go ahead and let it sit in the marinade for a while. If you have the time and your family and guests are not after you to get grilling, let the flap meat marinade for up to two hours.

• Use a charcoal chimney starter – As we are going to grill our marinaded flap meat, we need intense heat to quickly grill this thin piece of beef. And nothing does the job better than a charcoal chimney starter for preparing your coals. Simply fill the chimney with charcoal briquettes, put newspaper in the bottom, light the newspaper, and in 15 minutes, your hot coals are ready to go; no lighter fluid to ruin the taste of our delectable, marinated flap meat. Of course, if you use a gas grill, ignore this step. But remember it the next time you use a charcoal grill!

• Grill the flap meat quickly – Remember, this is a thin piece of meat, not a 2-inch thick porterhouse. It will cook extremely quickly. Don’t walk away and grab an adult beverage. Stand at the grill, and turn the flap meat often to achieve a dark brown char. Of course, you don’t want to burn the meat but don’t be afraid to get a really dark char crust on each side. You will thank me when you put the first bite in your mouth, and the charred meat goodness hits your pallet. 

• Let the meat rest – This is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure your flap meat will be tender and juicy in the middle. Let the meat rest on your cutting board for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to redistribute inside the meat. If you cut the meat too soon, all the delicious juice will just run onto your cutting board, leaving your hard-earned grilled flap meat dry and chewy.

• Cut against the grain – The grain in the flap meat is very easy to see. In order to get very tender and moist slices of meat, be sure to cut ACROSS the grain. Find the grain and slice at a 90-degree angle across the grain. Your sliced pieces of meat should look like an accordion. If you cut with the grain, you will produce a tough, chewy, somewhat tasteless piece of meat. And we don’t want that!

• Add red pepper flakes to the chimichurri – There are many variations on the recipe and ingredients in chimichurri as it has been passed from one South American country to another. We are cooking the standard green version of chimichurri. If you find that this version is too mild for you, simply add dried red pepper flakes to the sauce until the heat you desire is reached.

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING FLAP MEAT MARINADE

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder 
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 pounds flap meat or similar cut of beef

Combine all marinade ingredients together and mix well. Place the flap meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with the marinade, making sure that all surfaces of the meat are covered. Marinate for up to two hours.

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INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 small fresh red chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Combine all chimichurri sauce ingredients together and mix well.

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DIRECTIONS FOR GRILLING AND FINISHING THE FLAP MEAT

1. Grill the flap meat – Remove the flap meat from the marinade. Place it on either a gas or charcoal grill over intense high heat and grill roughly 5 – 8 minutes per side, flipping often. Be sure to grill the meat long enough to create a crusty black char without burning it.

2. Let the meat rest  - Allow the meat to rest on your cutting board for at least 10 minutes.

3. Cut against the grain – Be sure to slice the pieces of meat at a 90-degree angle against the grain.

4. Serve with the chimichurri sauce – Generously slather the slices of meat with the chimichurri sauce. Now, have lots of napkins ready to wipe your chin as you gobble up your marinated, grilled flap meat with chimichurri sauce! Delicious and so satisfying!

More Steak Ideas

Looking for something different to do with your flap steak? Try the Jamaican Jerk Mop sauce. Originally made for ribs, it would taste great with this cut of meat.