Perhaps it's your body telling you that you need more iron, or maybe it's a commercial you saw on TV, but sometimes you get a hankerin' for a big juicy steak that just can't be satisfied by any other means. In New York that usually means you head to Peter Luger's, Strip House, Craft Steak, or one of the other dozen premium steak houses in town. This also means your wallet will be about $150 lighter.
Being on a budget, I almost never go to a steak house, as it's about the easiest thing you can make at home, and it will cost less than ⅓ of the price. All you need is a good cut of meat, a heavy bottomed pan, and timer. I went with two 10 oz. dry aged rib eye steaks from Whole Foods at $25 a lb. It's not the best piece of meat I've ever had, but it was a heck of a lot better than most steaks I've had in restaurants and took me about 10 minutes from start to finish.
The trick is to get a heavy bottomed pan (which means the heat is distributed evenly) really hot, then sear the steaks on either side for a few minutes. Doing it over medium heat ensures an enticing brown crust without destroying a stainless steel pan, and a sheet of aluminum foil prevents a huge mess of splattered grease.
Chimichurri sauce is an Argentinian condiment served with meat that usually consists of oil, parsley, and some kind of acid. For my version, I opted for mint and lime. It lightens up the heavy hunk of beef and provides a nice tart contrast, while the olive oil adds some extra body to the meat.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
for steak
- 2 ribeye steaks (1" to 1 ¼" thick)
- olive oil
- fleur de sel (or other sea salt)
- ground black pepper
for chimichurri sauce
- ½ packed cups mint
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- ¼ cups olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- If you just took the steaks out of the fridge, give them 45 minutes to an 1 hour to come to room temperature. Rub both both sides of the steak with some olive oil and sprinkle a large pinch of salt and black pepper on both sides.
- For the sauce, put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. If you're doing it by hand, you can mince the mint with sharp knife, then combine the ingredients in a bowl.
- To cook the steak on the stove, heat a stainless steel or cast iron pan just big enough to hold your steaks over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until very hot (there's no need to add oil). Never use a non-stick pan for searing as the high temperature will make them release a toxic gas.
- Add the steaks and place a splatter shield or sheet of aluminum foil on top of the pan (if you use foil, just lay it on top and don't seal the edges). Let it cook on this side for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes for a rare steak, cook longer if you want it well done.
- Serve immediately with the chimichurri sauce.
Jennifer says
Hi Marc, this sounds so good! Do you think the recipe would work with tenderloin/fillet, besides the ribeye steaks? Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Marc says
Thanks Jennifer! Yes the sauce should work with any good steak cut. I wouldn't recommend the cooking method for tenderloin though as it will cook much faster and I generally prefer tenderloin rare.
Jennifer says
Awesome, Marc! Thank you so much for your reply. I agree, I love tenderloin rare
Jennifer says
Awesome, Marc! Thank you so much for your reply. I agree, I love tenderloin rare. I almost forget: What's the yield oof this recipe?
Marc says
Hi Jennifer, this will make a little over a 1/3 cup of sauce which is more than you should need for 2 steaks. If you have leftovers it's good tossed with lightly boiled snap peas or asparagus.
Jennifer says
Thanks again! Boiled snap peas and asparagus? Great ideas as usual 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Sounds good, great substitutions!
kathleenditommaso says
So I'm doing my Steak Matsumoto tonight. I don't have mushrooms but I think of a recipe from F&W magazine's about a chimichurri sauce. I think to myself, has he (Marc) done this? And of course, you have -- but with mint -- I didn't have mint so I used a bunch of parsley instead, After setting the steak aside to rest. I then tossed ultra thin slices shallots into the pan (didn't have onions) & some young baby squash that I needed to use up. Delicious as usual!! Steak Matsumoto w/chimichurri sauce & sautéed baby squash. I am so happy!!
kathleenditommaso says
So I'm doing my Steak Matsumoto tonight. I don't have mushrooms but I think of a recipe from F&W magazine's about a chimichurri sauce. I think to myself, has he (Marc) done this? And of course, you have -- but with mint -- I didn't have mint so I used a bunch of parsley instead, After setting the steak aside to rest. I then tossed ultra thin slices shallots into the pan (didn't have onions) & some young baby squash that I needed to use up. Delicious as usual!! Steak Matsumoto w/chimichurri sauce & sautéed baby squash. I am so happy!!
tdiem says
This sauce goes very well with grill lamb too. We love it.
tdiem says
This sauce goes very well with grill lamb too. We love it.
Angela says
That's so true about craving steak. Once and while, like you, I just have to have one. I love your version of chimichurri sauce. What a perfect balance of flavors to the savory steak. Thanks!
Angela says
That's so true about craving steak. Once and while, like you, I just have to have one. I love your version of chimichurri sauce. What a perfect balance of flavors to the savory steak. Thanks!
Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
I like the sound of a mint chimichurri sauce.
Cindy says
Time to bring the food processor back from my friend's place!
Pam says
Isn't it funny how you crave a steak every so often? I love the idea of the mint sauce!
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
Phwoar check out that steak. I very rarely have steak, because it's so expensive and I'm always scared to ruin it, but I do love it so. And that sauce sounds delicious, a nice perky contrast to the meat.
Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
I like the sound of a mint chimichurri sauce.
Cindy says
Time to bring the food processor back from my friend's place!
Pam says
Isn't it funny how you crave a steak every so often? I love the idea of the mint sauce!
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
Phwoar check out that steak. I very rarely have steak, because it's so expensive and I'm always scared to ruin it, but I do love it so. And that sauce sounds delicious, a nice perky contrast to the meat.
Yvo says
Hey, medium rare is not ruined. I'll give you anything over that, ruined and gross, but medium rare is still acceptable... completely rare, my previous favorite, has started to bug me.
I dry age my steaks myself for a few days... it gives you an even better crust in the end 🙂
Yvo says
Hey, medium rare is not ruined. I'll give you anything over that, ruined and gross, but medium rare is still acceptable... completely rare, my previous favorite, has started to bug me.
I dry age my steaks myself for a few days... it gives you an even better crust in the end 🙂
Peter says
A steak always satiates a man...I'm all over this beef!
Peter G says
"feed the man meat"...there has never been a better motto! I do like your take on the chimichurri sauce using lime and mint. Sounds very refreshing.
manggy says
Haha! I love that crossed-out word! Unfortunately in this household we never cook it less than medium :/ It's a culture thing, I guess!
Christie @ fig&cherry says
I never thought of mint with steak - sounds delish!
Peter says
A steak always satiates a man...I'm all over this beef!
noble pig says
Yum. I buy my Rib-eyes at Costco, the quality is great...$6-7 a pound...not sure if that's an optio for you. But they are the biggest, nicest steaks ever. I grill them and again they are Perfect...that sauce looks yummy too.
Peter G says
"feed the man meat"...there has never been a better motto! I do like your take on the chimichurri sauce using lime and mint. Sounds very refreshing.
manggy says
Haha! I love that crossed-out word! Unfortunately in this household we never cook it less than medium :/ It's a culture thing, I guess!
Christie @ fig&cherry says
I never thought of mint with steak - sounds delish!
noble pig says
Yum. I buy my Rib-eyes at Costco, the quality is great...$6-7 a pound...not sure if that's an optio for you. But they are the biggest, nicest steaks ever. I grill them and again they are Perfect...that sauce looks yummy too.