Grilled Steaks with The Best Chimichurri

Oh boy, this one... You will lose your mind. It's THAT good. Juicy grilled steaks, festooned with the most incredible chimichurri (AKA Argentinian pesto) on earth. And talk about easy. All the flavor, color and texture you crave, even on a busy weeknight. All you need is your blender and a grill pan.

I'm not bragging either. It's the chimichurri that changes the game. So what exactly IS chimichurri? It's a traditional uncooked sauce (like pesto) from Argentina that's used both in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. It's fresh, lively, vibrant. Argentinian dinner tables are rarely without it. The sauce originated in Uruguay, and it's classically made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and red wine vinegar. That said, the dominant flavors are parsley and garlic. Which means, it basically goes with everything.

My version is mostly traditional, but I added green onions for their fresh, grassy flavor. Some recipes call for shallots so it's not that big of a stretch! Wait until you try this... I know you will be blown away.

And you can put chimichurri on any cut of steak you want. I chose eye of round steaks, but you could certainly use flank or skirt steak. You could also put the sauce on chicken, pork, seafood, and shellfish.

You can also make the chimichurri up to 3 days in advance! Just pop it in the fridge and use it when you're ready!

Grilled Steaks with The Best Chimichurri

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 lean steaks of choice (I used eye of round)
Cooking spray or olive oil

In a food processor or heavy blender, combine the parsley, green onions, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Process until finely ground, scraping down the sides as necessary. Gradually add the olive oil and process until blended, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for at least 20 minutes (this is a great time to pull the steaks from the fridge since they need to come to room temp).
Coat a stovetop grill pan or griddle with cooking spray or olive oil and preheat over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper and add them to the hot pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer for more fully cooked meat. Remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest for 5 minutes.
Serve the steaks with the chimichurri spooned over top.
Refrigerate leftover chimichurri for up to 1 week.
Serves 4