Skirt steak with chimichurri dressing, a simple yet tasty main dish. Whether you BBQ your steak or sear it in a pan, the dressing adds delicious freshness.
Skirt steak with a chimichurri dressing is a great Summer BBQ dish. Beef skirt is a much underused and underrated cut of meat, but one which is gaining in popularity. This is largely due to the increasing influence of barbecuing and outdoor cooking across the UK. The cut comes from the same part of the cow as hanger steak, popular in South American barbecue. However if you’re French you would call it Onglet.
Skirt is an inexpensive cut of beef and treated properly is seriously tasty. Firstly, ensure that any excess fat and sinew is trimmed off the meat. We like to cut the meat with the grain into 200g more manageable portions allowing the steak to fit better into the pan. However, it’s essential that the steak is cooked rare or medium rare (and we strongly recommend you use a meat thermometer). Cook it any longer and the meat will toughen.
We think this is best done quickly in a smoking hot pan, or even better on the barbecue. However if time is limited we assure you the frying pan works just fine! Once cooked allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Now this bit’s really important – when cutting skirt it is essential that you cut across the grain of the steak. Cutting across the muscle like this breaks down the sinew, leaving you with a tender piece of meat. Cut with the grain and you’ll have a chewy piece of meat.
One cooked the steak with simply dressed with the chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri is a green sauce, full of fresh herbs and quick to make.
Alternative recipe suggestions:
If you like this recipe then try our Bavette Steak with Salsa Verde, our Skirt Steak with Warm Spice Marinade, our Sirloin Steak with Lemongrass or our Sirloin Steak with Mushroom & Madiera.
Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.
Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 800 g skirt steak (cut with the grain into 200g pieces)
DRESSING
- 1 large bunch parsley leaf (remove the thicker stalk)
- 1 small bunch coriander leaf (remove the thicker stalks)
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1 red finger chilli (de-seeded)
- 2 shallots
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil (more can be added if required to achieve consistency)
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing into a food processor and blitz to a smooth consistency.
- Meanwhile heat a non-stick frying pan to a high temperature. Season the steak with salt and pepper and place in the smoking hot pan, cook to rare or medium rare (see our meat cooking temperature guide). Remove the steak from the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Once rested cut the steak into thin slices across the grain of the meat, spoon a little dressing over the meat and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •