Sunday, February 19, 2017

Grilled Churrasco Skirt Steak With Chimichurri (Plus BONUS VIDEO!)



It's not likely that skirt steak would really be on the same tenderness scale as say, filet mignon... But, ask people who've had it (cooked properly, of course) to rate it's flavor on a scale from 1 to 10 and I'd bet you plenty that 99.9% of the card-carrying carnivores on the planet would happily answer that it's an absolute 10. (or maybe even higher!)

We've made this particular steak recipe from Daisy Martinez many times since we first tried it last Summer and I have to say that it's one of the most delicious cuts of beef I've ever tasted. I won't lie...because it comes from a more muscular part of the cow, it does have a texture that's a tiny bit chewy, but not at all in a bad way. Just imagine the texture of perfectly smoked ribs... yeah, it's something like that. It's definitely the type of steak that has to be sliced against the grain, similar to flank steak or tri-tip, but it's not too expensive and the incredible flavor will satisfy even the pickiest of "steak connoisseurs".

...And then there's the Chimichurri sauce that tops this steak. It's the perfect compliment to a rich cut of beef like skirt steak. And Daisy uses an amazing little trick that I'd never seen before, that is meant to add extra tenderness to the meat and I kid you not... it works like a charm!

As a little bonus, especially for all of my very dear friends who've stuck around and have never given up on me through all of my unannounced (and often extra long) absences from the blogosphere, I've faced one of my biggest fears - making my own demonstration video) included a bonus video showing you how, after years of trial and error, I figured out the way to saute the perfect mushrooms to serve alongside steak or other dishes.

You can check out that post, complete with the bonus video (made by yours truly!) by clicking ➞HERE.



Churrasco Skirt Steak
By: Daisy Martinez
(Serves 4)

FOR THE STEAK:
  • 2 skirt steaks (about 1Lb each), trimmed of fat and cut in half, crosswise
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar (I prefer red)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1) Rub a generous amount of salt and pepper into both sides of the steaks. Rub the onion powder into the steaks, dividing it evenly. Put the steaks into a baking dish or container that holds them comfortably.

(Now for Daisy's awesome tenderness trick!)

2) Placing your thumb over the top of the bottle to control the flow, sprinkle the (approx) 2 tablespoons of vinegar over the steaks and brush lightly with the olive oil. Allow the steaks to marinate for up to 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate in a tightly covered dish for up to 2 days. I won't go into the science behind doing this step, but trust me, it's amazing what a difference it makes with your tougher cuts of meat!

3) Heat your grill to medium-high, or if cooking your steaks indoors on the top of the stove, place a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the steaks, turning only once, to the desired doneness. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 to 10 minutes, loosely covered with some foil. Slice the steaks thinly against the grain just before serving. Drizzle some of the chimichurri over the steaks and pass the rest separately.

FOR THE CHIMICHURRI:
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 heaping teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
  • 4 cups flat-leaf parsley (from about 1 large bunch)
  • 1/2 cup fresh oregano (not in Daisy's recipe so this is optional)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the parsley and garlic until finely chopped. (Also add the oregano, if you decide to try it)


Scrape them into a bowl and stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You can add some red pepper flakes, for a spicy chimichurri. (We didn't because unlike my beloved, I have very wimpy taste buds)


Set this aside until you're ready to serve. (this can be kept at room temperature for an hour or two - or refrigerated for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container)


Place the steaks in a flat dish that is large enough to keep them in a single layer. Season them generously on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Using the bottle itself, place your thumb over the top and drizzle 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (give or take) over each of the steaks, turning them over so that they're coated on each side.

Then, drizzle about the same amount of a nice light olive or vegetable oil over the steaks in the same manner.

Allow them to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes while your grill (or grill pan) is heating up.


I don't have photos of the grilling process, but it's pretty simple. You can use a gas grill, a charcoal grill (which I recommend, because it gives the meat even more amazing flavor - see *Note a bit closer to the end of the post) or if the weather just isn't conducive to outdoor grilling, you can always use a heavy grill pan on your stove top.

First, prepare your grill, cleaning off the grates with a wire brush or crumpled foil and tongs, if necessary. You'll be grilling the steaks over direct heat.

Next, using long grilling tongs, oil the grill grates with a clean rag or a couple of sheets of folded paper towel coated in a little light olive or vegetable oil to help keep the meat from sticking. (Keep in mind that all meats when being grilled will sear onto the grates for a bit at first. You actually want this to happen because when it releases naturally from the grill, the meat itself is telling you that it's time to turn it.)

Using tongs (or your very clean fingers), place the room temperature steaks on the grill, directly over the prepared coals.

The standard times for grilling, depending on how you like your beef done. (All cooking times are approximate)

For medium rare: About 3 minutes per side, **turning them about 90 degrees on each side once halfway during each 3 minute period, to give them those great looking crosshatched grill marks. :)

For medium: About 4 minutes per side, repeating the steps above.

For well done: I'm going to be honest here... when it comes to well-done beef, I wouldn't know how long to tell you to cook it because, in our house, well-done steak has never actually happened. lol

**Please don't use a fork or anything pointed to pick up or move any meat around as it's cooking. Piercing the meat, allows all of the delicious juices to escape and that will leave you with dry, tough meat.


Once the meat is cooked to the doneness/temperature that you prefer, place it on a clean plate, cover it with foil and allow it to rest for about 5 to 8 minutes. This helps any juices that naturally want to run out after cooking, to absorb back into the meat fully - and that keeps it moist and flavorful.

When the steak has rested, place it on a cutting board and slice on the diagonal, cutting against the grain of the meat. With skirt steak, you'll usually find that you have to turn the meat slightly as you're slicing it, because the grain in this cut of beef tends to change directions a little bit from one end of the steak to the other.



*Note - We don't use charcoal lighter fluid - or the charcoal briquettes that come already infused with it. If you like it or find it convenient, that's fine. It all comes down to personal choice. It's just that we feel that it adds an unpleasant chemical flavor to the foods that are cooked when using it.

We use a charcoal chimney instead. They aren't expensive and you can find them at just about any retailer that sells barbecue grills and equipment.

As a side note: In case you're afraid it might take longer to get the coals going, the truth is... it really doesn't. As a matter of fact, we've found that to get from fresh out of the bag briquettes to the point where they're just right for cooking, takes the same amount of time!


PS ~ Don't forget to check out my post and video on how to saute mushrooms like a boss! Just click right HERE!

Enjoy!

Mary


Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!




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How To Saute Mushrooms Perfectly - Every Time!



The way I see it, mushrooms tend to be one of those 50/50 foods. You guys know what I mean... the kind of food that never gets a middle ground response.

When it comes to this often pungent, earthy fungi people either really, really love them, or they really, really hate them. I can't think of anyone I know who reacts to mushrooms with a "meh..." or shrugs their shoulders in a show of indifference. As a matter of fact, I've seen a whole lotta interesting facial expressions when mushrooms have cropped up in conversations.

Try it out for yourself sometime. Just take a minute to look at everybody's face, the next time you and a group of your friends are deciding what toppings to get on the pizzas you're about to order. In my experience, the reactions are second only to the ones I've seen when the hubbers mentions those "hairy" little fish - ya know... anchovies. Yuck!

If you, or one or more of your loved ones, is a mushroom lover (and I assume that's the case, since you're here reading this) then you know that mushrooms go really well with steak. The big steakhouses know this, because they usually offer them as one of the a la carte dishes you can get alongside your NY Strip, Rib Eye or Porterhouse. I've never really thought to ask why, but Filet Mignon often has a sauteed mushroom cap perched regally on top, when it comes out to the table. For the recipe for the Grilled Churrasco Skirt Steak with Chimichurri just click right HERE!

BTW, I've even included a nifty little video 📹 in this post and this time, it isn't one that I chose from the internet. Nope. This time it's little old me showing and telling you how to do it! Now, I really have to clarify that 1) I'm not gonna be discovered by the Food Network for this little video and 2) I'm not planning to do a video for every recipe I post, nor am I planning to start a cooking channel. I might do the occasional video here and there, depending on how I'm feeling at the time. (in other words, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. LOL) The video is at the end of this post.

🍄So... Let's get this recipe started, shall we?🍄


Perfectly Sauteed Mushrooms
2 - 4 Servings (can be doubled)
  • 8oz Button or Crimini Mushrooms
  • 1 Tbls Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbls Butter
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • Garlic Powder, Onion Powder or Favorite Seasoning Blend
First, just a few important tips about using/storing mushrooms:
  1. Try not to buy your mushrooms more than a day (or 2 at most) before you plan to cook them. They tend to degrade and mold very quickly, especially during the Summer or in warmer climates.
  2. Keep them in a ventilated container if you don't plan to use them right away. Since mushrooms contain a lot of their own natural moisture, condensation can be an issue (they'll sweat) in an enclosed plastic bag or in one of those cello wrapped cartons. (like the one in the photo above) I usually poke a few slits in the plastic wrap with the tip of a sharp paring knife, if I'm planning to keep them for a day or two.
  3. There are a couple of schools of thought on this, but I never put uncooked mushrooms in the refrigerator. I find that it tends to make them rubbery.



Mushrooms grow in soil, so there will usually be some of that soil on your mushrooms when you buy the. Never soak mushrooms in water. Some people will run them under cold water to rinse them off, but I don't like to expose them to even that much added moisture.


I just take a clean, slightly damp paper towel and brush off any excess debris. If there's a tiny bit thats left behind, I don't worry about it. As my sainted mother always said: "You've gotta eat a peck of dirt before ya die." I have absolutely no idea where that saying originated, but I've heard it my whole life & besides... if mama said it, it must be true, right? 👵


Trim just 1/16th of an inch off the ends of the stem with a sharp pearing knife. Unless the stems are extremely tough or "woody", I see no reason to cut the entire things off. They cook up just as tender and flavorful as the caps do, plus they increase the overall yield. More mushrooms is a good thing in my book!

Slice the mushrooms, or cut them into halves or quarters, depending on the size and texture that you're looking for. Of course you want them to be appealing to look at on your plate, but you also want them to cook evenly.

You'll probably notice that the mushrooms in the included video are sliced, but that the photos I'm using show them cut into larger pieces. This is because the filming of the video was a spur of the moment kind of thing one night and the photos were taken during the preparation of another recipe.


99% of the time, I use a combination of light olive oil and butter. I rarely ever use extra virgin olive oil for shallow frying or sauteing because "EVOO" can be too heavy in flavor and that just undermines the simplicity of certain foods. To me, there are just some foods that should remain as close to their original flavor as possible.


I always use salt & pepper and sometimes, that's all that I want. Other times, I'll use onion powder, garlic powder, or my favorite seasoning blend in the world... It's called Garlicious Grind and I use the Tuscan blend. If you've been around for a while, I know you've seen me use this seasoning in many recipes. It just seems to work really well in savory dishes of all kinds. It's perfect for meats and poultry of all kinds and it adds depth to just about anything Italian.  I kid you not... this stuff is seriously addictive! **See note below for further information.



Once your mushrooms are ready, place a non-stick pan over medium heat for just a minute to warm up the surface slightly.


Pour approximately a tablespoon of light olive oil, or a combination of oil and butter into the pan. Swirl it around a bit to just barely coat the bottom.


Put the mushrooms in the pan and immediately toss them around so that the oil/butter coats all of the mushrooms as much as possible. Keep in  mind that mushrooms can be a little persnickety when it comes to absorbtion. They're like little sponges and some pieces will just naturally soak up more than others. If this happens (and it most likely will) you can just add a bit more oil and/or butter, as you need to, just to get them coated.






**If you're interested in this seasoning blend, they do have a website where you can purchase their products, that I'll link here ➔ Northeast Corner Herb Farm. They offer a couple of different herb blends, dip mixes, some gorgeous culinary grade organic herb braids, gift baskets and they even have a special little treat for your furmeow family members... Chester's Choice Catnip! My cats have always gone nuts over it - and trust me - we've had some pretty finicky cats in our family, so that's saying something! 

(I am not affiliated with NE Corner Herb Farm and do not receive compensation in any form, for using their products or for mentioning them in my blog posts - I just happen to love what they sell and I try to buy local products as much as I possibly can!)


If you'd like the recipe for the Grilled Skirt Steak that we served these with, just click HERE.

Enjoy!

Mary


Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!




You Can Have New Posts From Go Ahead Take A Bite Delivered Right To Your Inbox! Just Enter Your Email Address Here:


Delivered by FeedBurner
We will never send any advertising or provide your email address to any other blogs or businesses.

Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!


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