I have another recipe under Sauces for parsley-garlic chimichurri sauce, if you're not a fan of cilantro. But if you are, this is truly the best I've had.
Ingredients
Steak:
1 lb. of lean skirt steak (this will feed 2 people, with side dishes)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Sauce:
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (also called Italian parsley)
4 Tablespoons chopped green onion (green and white parts)
Juice of one lime
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1-2 minced fresh, seeded jalapenos (1 will not be hot, trust me -- add 2 if you like heat)
Salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each)
1/2 cup olive oil
Preparation:
Strip the leaves off the cilantro and parsley stems, and pack into a measuring cup. Chop your green onion and jalapeno. Combine everything but the olive oil into a food processor and pulse until well blended (no identifiable leaves should be left). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olive oil. Stand at room temperature at least an hour to get the flavors mingling.
Salt and pepper the skirt steak. Heat about a Tablespoon of olive oil in a grill pan on the stovetop at medium-high heat until sizzling.
Cooking & Serving:
Sear the steak until medium rare to medium, about 3 or 4 minutes a side. This is a thin cut of beef, and you will want some pink. Let sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes, before cutting against the steak grain at a diagonal. Serve hot with the chimichurri sauce. For sides, try a nice chilled salad; it's also great with more traditional American potatoes or cooked vegetables. Pictured above is also a fried plantain -- a stellar starch substitute.
A Little Backstory:
OK, this is a great first meal to cook with a date. Hear me out (this is from a straight woman's perspective, but I think it's valid for all). Some people say they're great cooks, but that means they can stand on the patio for a couple hours, flipping meat on the grill. There's nothing there that shows you the guy he is. In this recipe, the steak is the easiest, no-brainer part. It's the sauce that tests the man, so to speak -- his ability to appreciate the nuance in a detailed recipe; wield a butcher knife but also tenderly strip cilantro leaves; follow directions but wing it with what feels right. And if you discover he also can effortlessly scrub the grill pan, load the dishwasher and clean the countertop -- while holding a great conversation and making you a cocktail? That, my friends, is a goddamn awesome first meal to cook with a date :).
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