A tangy South American sauce for steak, this makes a delicious Saturday night treat, especially served with chips/fries. A 2cm/¾in thick steak takes about 5 minutes for medium-rare if it was at room temperature before cooking and the pan is really hot. Leftover sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator to serve with grilled/broiled, roast or fried chicken or fish. You can also use it as a marinade or toss it into cooked vegetables.
MAKES 2 adult portions
PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes
COOKING TIME 5 minutes
FOR THE STEAKS
a drizzle of oil
2 good-quality steaks, whichever cut you prefer, such as rib-eye, rump, sirloin or fillet, left at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
a pinch of dried chilli/hot pepper flakes
TO SERVE
½ recipe quantity Oven-baked Chips (see below) or shop-bought chips/fries
roasted vine tomatoes (optional)
1 To make the chimichurri sauce, put the parsley, oregano and garlic in a small food processor or blender and whizz until finely chopped, then stir in the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and chilli/hot pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and leave to one side until ready to serve.
2 To cook the steaks, put a griddle or large frying pan over a high heat and leave to become super-hot, then add a trickle of oil. If the steaks are at all wet, pat them dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. As soon as the oil is smoking hot, put the steaks into the pan. Cook for about 1½ minutes, then flip over, cooking for a further minute or so, then flip over every minute until the steaks are cooked to your liking. If there is a thick piece of fat around the edge of the steak, use a pair of tongs to hold the steak vertically in the pan to brown the fat.
3 Remove the steaks from the pan and leave in a warm place to rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve the steaks with any resting juices poured over, and spoon some chimichurri sauce on top. Serve with oven-baked chips/fries and roasted vine tomatoes, if you like.
How to make
oven-baked chips, fries or wedges
Put a large, non-stick baking or roasting pan in the oven and preheat it to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Cut 750g/1lb 10oz potatoes or sweet potatoes into chip shapes or slim wedges, peeled or not, as you prefer. Toss in 3 tbsp olive oil and transfer to the hot pan. Bake for 25–45 minutes (depending on the thickness of the potatoes), turning every 10 minutes or so until golden and cooked through. Once cooked, season with salt to your taste. For added flavour, toss 2 tsp dried spices with the potatoes before cooking. My favourites are paprika, mild chilli powder, garam masala, sumac, Cajun or Creole seasoning. Choose flavours that complement the main dish. This makes enough for 4 adult portions.