Restaurant-Style Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
This is one of my ALL TIME favorite recipes! I’m so excited to share this with y’all. Steak can be intimidating! I love a filet mignon, but it’s an expensive cut of meat, and I don’t want to waste it by messing it up. Following this recipe will produce the perfect steak, every time! The quick sear on the stove (preferably in cast iron) gives the steak the perfect crust without drying it out, and then it finishes cooking in the oven. The result is perfect, medium steak. It doesn’t get better than that!
You can do this on it’s own and it will be delicious, but the addition of the chimichurri sauce takes it over the top. One of my favorite restaurants in Oxford, Snackbar, serves their “steak frites” with a Tabasco aioli and chimichurri. Chimichurri is an herb and olive oil based sauce that has origins in Argentina. In fact, when William and I did the Viking Cooking School at the Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood, the theme was “Argentenian Steakhouse” and the menu featured a steak dish with chimichurri sauce. To me, it’s the perfect complement to a hearty steak because of the acidic bite that it brings to the dish— simply PERFECT.
Y’all let me know if you try it!
Steak with Chimichurri
*Serves 2
2 steak filets (let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking)
3-4 sprigs of rosemary
3-4 sprigs of thyme
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or other high-smoking point oil)
Kosher salt and black pepper
For the Chimichurri:
1 cup parsley
1 cup cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. (I will usually let my cast iron heat up with the oven so that it’s already hot when I start cooking).
Place steaks on a plate and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper on each side.
Heat the cast iron skillet to medium heat, placing 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter into the pan.
Once butter is melted, place steaks into the pan. Let cook for 3-4 minutes per side until crust is formed.
Add in remaining two tablespoons of butter, rosemary, garlic, and thyme. (Wearing an oven mit!!) tilt the skillet and baste the butter/garlic/herb mixture over the steaks until well coated.
Place entire skillet into the oven for 8-10 minutes. I like my steak less done than William, so usually I will pull mine out to rest a few minutes before his. (If you have a meat thermometer, a rare steak should be 130-135 degrees internally, and medium should be 135-145 degrees internally. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can try to feel for firmness of the meat, or even just cut it open a little bit. I try to not do this, as the meat will lose some of the moisture, but it won’t kill you and the steak will still be good. I know there is a steak purist reading this and judging— but hey, life’s too short).
For the chimichurri— place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined. I typically make mine a day in advance so all the flavors have time to meld (and because prep saves time!!) but don’t feel any pressure to do so. It’s still good right away!
ENJOY!