Argentinean Chimichurri Sauce
Four Steps: Making the sauce, using it as a marinade, preparing the beef, cooking it.

1. Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped parsley (use the stems as well)
6 garlic cloves
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
(or whatever you have in the kitchen)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 or 2 red jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped

Process the parsley and garlic in a blender or food processor with a little of the olive oil until very fine. You may need to use a spoon to “push” the parsley down into the blades of the blender. Also, you may need to add half or more of the olive oil to get the parsley to puree into a sauce consistency. Add the other ingredients and taste for seasoning.

2. The Marinade
Ingredients:
½ cup Chimichurri sauce (above)
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt

Put your steak in a large zipper storage bag. Combine the Chimichurri sauce with the olive oil and pour into the bag. Squeeze out the excess air so the bag collapse and surrounds the meat with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours (can be stored up to 3 days for more flavor). Remaining Chimichurri sauce should be placed in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Preparing the Meat Before Marinating
Although you can use any steak available, flank steak seems to work the best and is the leanest of all meats. Use about 1 ½ pounds. When preparing the flank steak for marinating, generously poke holes in it with a fork. This will allow the marinade to seep into the meat and permeate with its flavor.

4. Cooking the Steak
Pre-heat your grill. Combine the pepper, salt and pepper flakes. Remove steak from marinade and place on hot grill. Sprinkle the spices on the meat, cook for a few minutes and then flip. Sprinkle spices on the other side. Flank steak takes about 6-10 minutes a side and should be pink on the inside. Flank steak should be sliced diagonally against the grain. Slices should be 1/8” to ¼” thick. Serve Chimichurri sauce on the side for additional slathering.

Serve the beef with a black bean salad or a side salad of mixed greens and fresh vegetables. Pair the meal with a red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel or an ice cold imported beer.

Enjoy!

Did You Know?
In Argentina , they eat a lot of beef. In fact, often a meal will consist of a plate of marinated and grilled beef with a small side salad. Like Americans use steak and barbeque sauces, the people of Argentina use Chimichurri sauce on everything. Three key ingredients make this sauce a hit: red chili peppers give it a little heat, garlic the zesty zing, and red wine vinegar the tang. Combined with the subtle flavor of pureed parsley, this sauce is a show stopper!