Argentine Style Skirt Steak with Chimmichurri Style Sauce
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Degree of difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 10 minutes but overnight marinating time and 20 minutes draining time
Cooking time: 6 minutes plus 15 minutes resting time
- 1 skirt steak (the one I had about 1 kilo/2 pounds but they can be much longer, cut into half if you need to and double the rest of the ingredients depending on the weight)
- 1 cup parsley and mint leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 blood orange or orange
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- salt for sprinkling
- Oil for cooking
- 1 teaspoon of butter
Step 1 - Place the herbs, garlic, oil, orange juice and vinegar in a food processor and blitz until you get a puree. Place the skirt steak in a bag and pour over with the marinade mixture, massaging it a little and distributing it in the bag. Place in the fridge to marinate overnight.
Step 2 - About 45 minutes before you want to eat it, take the steak out and wipe off the marinade (you don't have to be precise and wash it, just remove any clumps of herbs but reserve the marinade). Place the steak on a tray and salt liberally on both sides - I used about two teaspoons' worth. Cover and allow the excess water to drain off for 20 minutes and then brush off the extra salt.
Step 3 - Heat a bbq or pan to the highest heat possible (if you have one, use a cast iron pan or grill). Add some oil to the pan and fry the steak for 3 minutes maximum on both sides (for medium rare). It is a thin steak so it cooks quickly. Remove from the pan and place on a tray and and add the teaspoon of butter on the top. Tent the tray with foil and allow the steak to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 4 - Meanwhile, take the marinade and heat it gently on low to medium heat in the same pan. It will meld with the pan juices. Cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. After the steak has rested, slice the steak against the grain and serve with the marinade sauce.