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 1/3 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, but 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.
I served this a with truffle creamed chard which I’ll tell you more about tomorrow.
Ingredients
for steak
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2
ribeye steaks (1" to 1 1/4" thick)
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olive oil
-
fleur de sel (or other sea salt)
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ground black pepper
for chimichurri sauce
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1/2
packed cups
mint
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1
clove
garlic (finely minced)
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1/4
cups
olive oil
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1/4
teaspoon
salt
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1
tablespoon
lime juice
Steps
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 ruined well done.
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Serve immediately with the chimichurri sauce.
Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
I like the sound of a mint chimichurri 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.
Pam says
Isn’t it funny how you crave a steak every so often? I love the idea of the mint sauce!
Cindy says
Time to bring the food processor back from my friend’s place!
Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
I like the sound of a mint chimichurri sauce.
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!
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.
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!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Sounds good, great substitutions!