Chimichurri Steak

Don't Make These Mistakes

Chop by hand. A blender turns chimichurri into a bitter green paste in about four seconds.

Make it at least an hour ahead. It is noticeably better after that time.

Rest the steak for half as long as you cooked it. Slicing early loses the juices onto the board.

Making Chimichurri Steak

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1. Dissolve the salt in the warm water and vinegar — this seasons the sauce evenly rather than leaving salty pockets.

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2. Combine the chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, shallot and chilli in a bowl.

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3. Stir in the vinegar mixture, then the olive oil, and add the pepper.

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4. Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 1 hour, and up to 3. Do not refrigerate it before serving — cold olive oil solidifies.

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5. Take the steaks out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking and salt them generously on both sides.

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6. Get a barbecue or heavy griddle pan searingly hot. Brush the steaks with the neutral oil.

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7. Grill for 4 minutes without moving them, turn once, and grill 3 to 4 minutes more for medium-rare, or until a thermometer reads 52°C / 126°F at the centre.

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8. Rest the steaks on a warm board for 8 to 10 minutes — half the cooking time is the rule.

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9. Slice thickly against the grain, grind over black pepper, and spoon the chimichurri generously over the top.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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What's Going On Here

Chopping the herbs by hand rather than blending keeps the parsley in distinct pieces suspended in oil, which is why it reads as a sauce with texture rather than a green purée. Resting it for at least an hour lets the garlic and oregano infuse the oil, and the vinegar softens the raw garlic edge.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Chimichurri keeps 1 week refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving. Cooked steak keeps 3 days.

Changing the Recipe

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

What to Serve Alongside

• A Malbec from Mendoza
• Grilled provoleta cheese
• A simple tomato and onion salad

Common Questions About Chimichurri Steak

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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