Recipes

Grilled Steak with Garlic Chimichurri

There’s something classic about tender steak grilled to perfection, thinly sliced and served with an herb-packed green sauce over salad greens. In this case, that sauce is chimichurri, which gets a kick of flavor from our Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce. The dish is simple and quick enough to serve as a weeknight dinner, but it’s upscale enough to serve for a weekend dinner party.

Ingredients

Steaks

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
two 10-11oz boneless rib-eye steaks
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Chimichurri

1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 large bunch cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad Greens

juice of ½ lemon (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
2 teaspoons Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce
pinch of sugar
3 cups mixed mesclun salad greens
blue or goat cheese crumbles

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium-high; at least 5 minutes for a gas grill. For a charcoal grill, heat the charcoal to very hot with an ash coating, then push the coals to one side of the grill. When the grill is ready – you should be able to hold your hand one inch above the grill grates for only a second – lightly rub the clean grill grate with an oil soaked paper towel using a pair of tongs.
Brush 2 tablespoons of the olive oil all over the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
For the chimichurri: add the parsley and cilantro leaves to a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop.
Add the remaining ingredients – oregano, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, creamy garlic sauce, vinegar and olive oil – and process until combined and finely chopped. Set aside.
For the steaks: Place the steaks on the preheated grill, cover, and let cook for 5 minutes. Rotate the steaks 45 degrees halfway through cooking for a crosshatch pattern.
Turn, cover and continue cooking to the desired degree of doneness. The best way to do this is by temperature as times can vary based on the heat of the grill and the thickness of the steak. Use an instant read thermometer for best results. Unless the thermometer is heat resistant, do not leave it in the grill.
125°F rare (about 8-11 min total)
135°F medium rare (about 9-12 min total)
145°F medium (about 10-13 min total)
155°F medium well (about 12-15 min total)
165°F well done
Remove from the grill and set aside for 8-10 minutes to rest.
For the dressed greens: right before serving, place the lemon juice, creamy garlic sauce, a pinch each of salt, pepper, sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Whisk to combine then add mesclun leaves and toss to coat.
Slice the steaks against the grain into slices and arrange on a serving plate. Spoon the chimichurri on top of the steak and serve with the dressed greens and crumbled blue or goat cheese.

Chef’s Tips

For best results, let the steaks come to room temperature before grilling and let rest for 8-10 minutes after cooking before slicing.
While the steaks rest, utilize the grill for a quick side dish or dessert. Throw some asparagus on the grill for a quick sear then drizzle with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt for an easy side dish. Or grill some halved fresh peaches and serve with ice cream for dessert.
No thermometer? Try the “Touch Method” – different parts of your face feel very similar to a cooked steak at different degrees of doneness:
Touch the middle of your cheek – that’s how rare feels, soft & delicate
Touch the tip of your nose – that’s the softness of medium rare, a little springy
Touch the tip of your chin – that’s how medium feels, a little firm
Touch your forehead – that’s how well done feels, solid and firm