Beer Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Beer Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Anytime my brother Dan and I get together it's an occasion for us to cook (or at least eat well and talk a lot about food).  So, when he and his girlfriend Lauren drove out east for a couple days we made sure to do just that.  Being a firefighter, Dan often cooks for his fire department in the South Bronx and of course, cooks at home as well.  We collaborated on this recipe and I am super excited to share it with my readers!  I usually describe chimichurri sauce as sort of a hybrid between pesto and vinaigrette.  It's composed mainly of herbs like a pesto but has the red wine vinegar to give it a tangy bite like a vinaigrette.  However you describe it, paired with flank steak it's delicious!

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lb flank steak

2 cans of beer (we used Budweiser)

1/3 cup worcestershire sauce

1 cup parsley

1/4 cup cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cross-hatch marks courtesy of Dan's grilling skills.

In a large tupperware or casserole dish place the flank steak.  Pour both cans of beer over the meat then add 1/3 cup worcestershire sauce.  Allow to marinate for at least one hour but preferably several. 

After the meat has marinated, grill over medium direct heat for 7-9 minutes on each side, flipping once.  Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for at least ten minutes.  This keeps all of the juices from flowing out during the slicing process and keeps the steak juicy.

While the meat is resting, combine parsley, cilantro, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a food processor.  Purée until smooth.  The sauce should be of similar consistency to a pesto or salad dressing.

Use a sharp knife to slice the flank steak into long strips.  Always slice against the natural grain of the meat to ensure tenderness. You could substitute skirt steak in this recipe if you prefer a fattier cut of meat, however, my preference would definitely be the flank steak.  Drizzle the meat liberally with chimichurri sauce.  Enjoy!