Chimichurri Steak may sound & look complicated, but it isn’t. A mouthwatering meal of steak & tasty chimichurri sauce in less than 20 mins!
Father’s Day week means more meat!
Father’s Day week means more meat! When Father’s Day arrives, my dad and husband (Tomi) get really excited because it’s meat time. This is more true for Tomi because I’m not really a red meat eater, so I don’t cook it often.
My protein diet mostly comprises chicken and seafood, and if it’s the latter, Tomi will excuse himself and make himself a cheese toastie. We’ve been married too long to get offended by this, and it actually works out well. Tomi doesn’t complain when I cook seafood and I don’t complain when he wants to eat something else!
The Korean Style Ribs were my dad’s favourite ribs, so this one is for Tomi, Chimichurri Steak. Hubby fell deeply in love with Chimichurri when he first ordered it with his steak at our local steakhouse.
I’m naturally attracted to green sauces, like pesto and salsa verde, so I knew I would love chimichurri. And… I was right! I loved it so much that I stole most of it from Tomi’s plate. This famous Argentinian and Uruguayan sauce is beautifully tangy, herby and flavourful.
Lucky for us, our local steakhouse printed the chimichurri ingredients on their menu. I’ve recreated the dish Tomi had that night. T-bone steak with chimichurri sauce. This inspired chimichurri has parsley, oregano, mint, chilli, honey, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
Tomi’s eyes lit up like crazy when he saw this 500gm T-Bone steak. Not to gloat, hubby said my chimichurri tasted better than the steakhouse’s one. This could be a lie to please his wife, but I’ll take it, anyway!
What does chimichurri go with?
Chimichurri is one of those versatile sauces that goes with many dishes. You can serve chimichurri with roast steak, pork, chicken, fish, seafood and vegetables.
Can you make chimichurri ahead of time?
Chimichurri actually tastes even better when made ahead of time. The longer it rests in the fridge, the more the flavours will infuse together and flavour the olive oil.
Place the chimichurri in a sterilised jar and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve the chimichurri at room temperature.
Craving meat? Check out these recipes:
Pork chops & Apples
3 Meat Slow cooked ragu
Bacon Sausage Sandwich
Moroccan Beef Kefta
The 15 to 30 second steak flips
My go to method of cooking pan-fried steaks is using Heston Blumenthal’s method as explained in my Surf and Turf post.
‘Heston basically cranks up the heat, throws the steak in some oil and flips it every 15 seconds. There I was thinking we’re only supposed to turn the steak once or it’ll be dry and tough! I can’t recall Heston’s scientific reason behind doing this, but it totally works! I’ve always cooked my steak this way since and it’s never failed me’
If I wanted perfect steaks to serve my guests, I would go to the trouble of pulling out my meat thermometer. Otherwise, I would just use my tongs to press into the steak. I can guess how done the steak is by the way it feels, the more firmer the steak the more cooked it is.
Internal steak tempeature guide (during cooking, not when resting)
Rare: 48ºC / 118ºF Medium rare: 52ºC / 125ºF Medium: 58ºC / 136ºF Medium well: 62ºC / 143ºF Well done: 68ºC / 154ºF
Ingredients for Chimichurri Steak
Steak – I used 2 x 500gms/1.1lb of T-Bone steaks to share with 4 people. If you prefer to serve the steaks individually, get ones that are approximately 250-300g (9-11oz) each. Ideal steak cuts for pan-frying are porterhouse, scotch fillet, rib eye, NY strip, sirloin and T-Bone.
Herbs – I used a blend of flat-leaf parsley, mint and dried oregano. If you wish to keep your chimichurri traditional, just use a blend of parsley and fresh or dried oregano.
Honey (optional) – This chimichurri-inspired sauce came from our local steakhouse. They used honey to add a subtle sweetness, and it also smooths out the harsh taste of the vinegar in the chimichurri sauce. I recommend this, but if you like your chimichurri traditional and more sour than sweet, simply omit the honey.
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How to make Chimichurri Steak
Step-by-step guide with photos
Leave the steaks to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
For the chimichurri sauce – Place the ingredients for the chimichurri (except for the olive oil) into a food processor and blitz for 20 seconds or until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and pour in the olive oil, then stir to combine.
Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the entire steak generously with salt and pepper.
Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once the oil smokes, place the steak in the pan. Every 15-20 seconds, Turn the steaks over every 15-20 seconds until they’re cooked to your liking. If possible, use a meat thermometer to help determine the ‘doneness’ of your steak. Place the steaks on a wire rack to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions – Serve the chimichurri sauce over the steak or in a little bowl beside the steak. Fries, mashed potatoes, salad or vegetables make great side dishes for this Chimichurri Steak.
Leftovers – Place the chimichurri in a sterilised jar and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Chimichurri Steak
Ingredients
- 2 T-bone steak (approx. 500gm/1.1lb each) (NOTE 1)
- salt and pepper to season
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
For the Chimichurri
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ⅓ cup mint
- 1½ tsp dried oregano (or 2 tbsp of fresh oregano)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium red chilli
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey (NOTE 2)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Leave the steaks to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to cooking. For the chimichurri sauce – Place the ingredients for the chimichurri (except for the olive oil) into a food processor and blitz for 20 seconds or until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and pour in the olive oil, then stir to combine.
- Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the entire steak generously with salt and pepper.Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once the oil smokes, place the steak in the pan. Every 15-20 seconds, Turn the steaks over every 15-20 seconds until they're cooked to your liking. If possible, use a meat thermometer to help determine the 'doneness' of your steak. Place the steaks on a wire rack to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
