Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri

The rain has been falling here in New England. Falling, falling, and falling some more. We've been lucky to see the sun peak through every once in a while. But, the brightest sign of summer that I've seen is actually a direct result of all that rain - the wildly growing fresh herbs I have in pots on my deck. The parsley leaves are actually larger than my basil leaves. Can you picture that? Parsley has noticed the mint over in the other pot (mint gets it's own pot, like a time out, to tame it's aggressive tendencies towards the other herbs) and parsley has been begging to get together with mint and do the chimi. What's the chimi, you ask? It's a little blender dance where parsley and mint get together and make sweet chimichurri (chimichurri actually far from sweet, but the process is.) If you think I've spent way too much time sitting on my deck listening to my herbs chat, well, you're wrong. Because it's been raining, I haven't been doing much sitting outside. I guess I'm going a little stir crazy!

Anyway, I really did see all my herbs growing like crazy, especially the parsley, and thought that chimichurri sauce would be a great way to make use of it. My husband has raved about the chimichurri he enjoyed once at a Nicaraguan restaurant in Miami, but I'm not sure I had ever made it myself. I had some flank steak in the freezer, so I knew that's what my chimichurri would be served with. Flank steak is a wonderful cut of beef because it's pretty lean and it's hard to screw up cooking. I did a little searching online and came up with a few inspiring ideas. First of all, the steak would get a brown sugar and spice rub. Not only does this create a beautifully caramelized "crust" upon grilling, but that sweetness really is the perfect compliment for the sharp parsley and garlic flavors on the chimichurri. Second, I decided to cut some of the typical olive oil in chimichurri and replace it with some chicken broth to reduce the fat and calories. A little bit of olive oil is still include to lend flavor and texture, and because we all need a little good fat. But the chicken broth makes a great substitute so you can dunk every bite with a little less guilt.

I made some grilled artichokes (brushed with lemon juice and olive oil) to go with the flank steak, which was perfect because the extra chimichurri got scooped up by the leaves. The next day I even enjoyed a steak sandwich for lunch using some of the extra meat and chimichurri. We both really enjoyed this dinner and I look forward to the continued wild growth of my herbs so I can make it again soon!

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri
Printable Recipe

1 1/4 lb flank steak
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1 tsp cumin
freshly ground salt & pepper

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves

Sprinkle both sides of the steak generously with coarsely ground salt & pepper. Combine the brown sugar, paprika and cumin. Rub all over both sides of the steak. Let stand at room temperature for at least 40 minutes before grilling.

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Cook the steak for about 6-8 minutes on each side for medium-rare to medium.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.

Remove the steak from the grill, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve the sliced steak with the chimichurri sauce.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 378.2
Total Fat: 19.1 g
Cholesterol: 94.5 mg
Sodium: 201.3 mg
Total Carbs: 10.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g
Protein: 39.9 g