Bold, juicy, and flavorful: Chimichurri steak is one of my favorite ways to prepare skirt steak. It’s fast and foolproof to make, and the herbal chimichurri sauce gives it an extra savory kick. Here is an easy recipe and ideas for wine pairing with chimichurri steak.

Wine Pairing with Chimichurri Steak

Since skirt is a relatively lean, muscular cut of steak, it can be a little chewier than fattier cuts. Skirt is usually a flat cut, about 1” thick, and as such, often takes on a smoky flavor since there is more charred surface area versus the rest of the meat. Malbec offers juicy berry flavors that pop against the herbal chimichurri sauce. Meanwhile, its bold tannins soften nicely against the hearty steak.

In the spirit of pairings that match wine with its regional cuisine, Argentinian Malbec is perfect with chimichurri steak. In the absence of a pure Malbec, Bordeaux blends often contain Malbec as well, and also have the profile to pair well with steak.

The Recipe

The recipe for chimichurri steak is very easy. After marinating the steak overnight, prepare the sauce, sear the steak, and you’re ready to dig in! Here are a few tips for great chimichurri steak:

Monitor the temperature constantly. Every grill, stove top, and cut of steak is different. This is more important than monitoring the amount of time the steak is searing. For a medium rare steak, take it off the heat once it hits 125F. Its temperature will continue to rise and should hit 130F in the first moments of resting.
Let the steak rest 10-15 minutes before slicing, or you will end up with a bloody mess. Conversely, don’t rest too long or the fats will congeal (not so pretty!).
Skirt steak or flank steak? You will see many recipes suggesting flank or skirt interchangeably. While the two cuts are quite similar, I prefer skirt steak here because it tends to be thinner. With a thinner cut, there will be a bit more of a seared flavor (versus meat) that goes great with the chimichurri sauce.

Great side dishes for chimichurri steak

I personally love this dish with crispy oven-roasted potatoes, which serve as a great backdrop to herb-filled chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri steak is also great with freshly-baked focaccia, herbed or with olive oil. Finally, roast vegetables and mushrooms also nicely complement the dish’s bold, smoky flavors.

Easy Chimichurri Steak

Ingredients

Marinade:

1-1.5 lb skirt steak
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
4 garlic cloves, minced

Sauce:

1 cup parsley
1 cup cilantro
¼ cup olive oil
½ onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

Mix the marinade ingredients together. Place the steak into a large ziploc bag along with the marinade. Leave in the refrigerator for overnight or up to 8 hours.
Pat steak dry. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a pan on a stovetop over medium-high heat.
Sear steak for 2-4 minutes on each side. Remove steak to a plate or heat-safe cutting board when the internal temperature is just crossing 125F (medium rare). It should continue to rise and reach 130F as it is resting.
While the steak is resting, in a blender on high speed, pulse all sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
Slice steak and serve with the sauce. Enjoy alongside an Argentinian Malbec.