Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
This is the top favorite dish at Kitchen 511 and has been for close to a decade. It's also the the most oft-requested recipe in my repertoire--by kids and parents alike. Gwen (once again!) gave me the marinade recipes--one's sweet, one's spicy. (I must admit: I wrote them down so fast and furiously and have never been 100% certain I got them exactly right; but they're darn delicious, nonetheless!) I always make both versions because the girls prefer the sweet and the boys expect the spicy (which explains the divide between the steaks on the platter above--and sorry if you find the pool of juices unappealing!). The chimichurri recipe is a combo of a couple I dug up online. IF I have leftovers, I'll make a steak salad for the next day's lunch: mesculun, tomatoes, and red onion drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with room-temperature steak and chimichurri. While we love steak frites, I don't always include the hand-cut fries because they take forever to prepare (as they require a double dose of frying); and I never seem to make enough--mainly because I eat a quarter of them before they land on the table. I've included the recipe below just in case you care to take on the arduous and messy task. But don't say I didn't warn you!
Serves 6 (I make 2 pounds of each style steak to serve my family of six with leftovers)
Ingredients
For Spicy Chipotle Marinade:
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1/4 cup canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted and ground cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted and ground coriander seeds
(If you don't have seeds, use 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander and roast in a pan on the stove.)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 lbs. skirt steak
Preparation
Pat steaks dry and sprinkle chipotle powder all over both sides of steak.
Mash chipotle pepper in sauce. Mix in lime juice, ground cumin, coriander and pepper. Pour marinade over steak, making sure it's well covered and and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. ( I throw everything into a large Zip-loc bag and squeeze all of the air out to marinade.)
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before ready to grill.
Grill on lightly oiled grill rack on high heat for approximately 3-4 minutes/side for medium-rare. (I use a gas grill and keep it covered.)
Remove from heat and let stand loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes. Slice diagonally and serve with chimichurri sauce.
Ingredients
For Sweet Marinade:
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar or honey (I've only ever used honey)
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2" piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped (Gwen says you can substitute powder ginger)
2 lbs. skirt steak
Preparation
Pat steaks dry. Mix all ingredients and pour over steak. Make sure steak is completely coated and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before ready to grill.
Grill on lightly oiled grill rack on high heat for approximately 3-4 minutes/side for medium-rare. (I use a gas grill and keep it covered.)
Remove from heat and let stand loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes. Slice diagonally and serve with chimichurri sauce.
Ingredients
For Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup fresh parsley leaves (packed)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (packed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (dried)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
Salt to taste
Preparation
Make the sauce as close to serving time as possible. (I usually start just after I've taken the steaks out of the fridge.) Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Sauce is served at room temperature. If sauce separates prior to serving, whisk to combine. Serve on the side.
Ingredients
For French Fries:
2 lbs. russet potatoes
Peanut oil (about 8 cups)
Salt
Large brown paper grocery bags
Preparation
Slice potatoes into app. 1/4" thick sticks. (I either cut them by hand or use a mandoline.)
Place in bowl and cover with ice-cold water and let set until you're ready to begin frying.
Heat 1 1/2 inches oil to 325°F in a 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat. At the same time, heat oven to 200°.
While oil is heating up, place fries on a clean towel to soak up the water and pat the potatoes dry.
Fry potatoes in batches for 1-2 minutes per batch (potatoes will not be golden) and transfer with a slotted spoon to brown bag to drain. Shake them inside bag to remove oil. (You can use paper towels if you don't have bags.) Place cooked fries on parchment-paper lined baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.
Once oil has returned to 325°F, repeat above steps with next batch of potatoes and continue until all potatoes have been fried. (You will need to replace brown bag with a new one each time it becomes too oil-sodden.)
Heat oil to 350°F. Refry potatoes in batches until golden and crisp. They fry quickly, so keep slotted spoon in hand and have fresh brown bag ready. Transfer potatoes to bag and shake. Transfer to oven until all fries are finished.
Add salt and serve with your favorite condiments: ketchup, mayonnaise, malt vinegar.
