Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce beauty, as seen on Food Network Kitchen Live.
Recipe courtesy of Jet Tila

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Getting reviews...
  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 25 min
  • Active: 15 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
The hallmarks to perfect grilled steaks are a great charred crust with some grill marks, seasoning generously and nailing the temperature (doneness). Always consider the thickness of the steak when cooking, knowing the thicker the steak, the longer the cook time (see the Cook's Note below). Chimichurri is a great sauce to know because it belongs to a group of uncooked condiments that touch so many cultures and dishes. If you can make chimichurri, you can make salsa verde and pesto. A rule of thumb is chimichurri is herbal, salsa verde is acidic and pesto is nutty. Choose the right sauce to pair perfectly with your protein or vegetable. Flank steak is a heavily used muscle but will grill amazingly. It’s pleasantly chewy with great flavor.

Ingredients

Chimichurri Sauce:

Steak:

Directions

  1. Make the chimichurri sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients to a small food processor. Pulse 4 to 6 times, until the herbs are roughly chopped and chunky. Transfer to a serving bowl.
  2. Cook the steak: Pat the flank steak dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and a pinch of ground pepper. Place in a medium bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and soy sauce. Add the onion to the bowl and give it all a massage until combined.
  3. Heat a grill to high for at least 5 minutes. If using a charcoal or gas grill, wipe the grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel right before cooking to clean off any char and debris. This will give you a great grill mark and help keep the beef from sticking. Alternatively, place a grill pan over high heat and preheat for at least 5 minutes. Rub a little oil on the pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Grill the steak for about 3 minutes, or until well browned on one side. Turn the steak over and add the onion to the grill. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) for medium-rare, or to your desired doneness (see Cook's Note). You just want the onions slightly charred but still crunchy. Transfer the steak and onions to a cutting board and allow to rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain into 1-inch (2.5-cm) planks. Serve the steak over the onions and drizzle with the chimichurri sauce. 

Cook’s Note

Flank is thin, so use very high heat to get a good char in the short time it will take the steak to cook. Also, flank is so thin that a thermometer might not give you a good reading, so the press test will help. Take your index and poke a flank steak to measure its texture. If it feels and bounces back like poking your cheek, that’s rare. Your firm chin is medium-rare. The firm, unyielding tip of your nose is well-done. With thicker steaks, use a thermometer to test for doneness. Flank steak also goes by the name carne asada. You can also substitute skirt steak for this recipe. This cut is best cooked rare to medium-rare. Any further cooking will be really tough to eat.