Argentinian · Main course · SAMPLE RECIPE
Chimichurri flank steak
Argentine-inspired flank steak with a bright parsley-and-garlic chimichurri. Slice it thinly and bring the extra sauce to the table.
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A NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN
Cut across the grain.
Find the long muscle fibers in the flank steak before cooking. Slice across those lines after resting for a more tender bite. Chimichurri is also at home in Uruguay; this version takes its cue from the parsley-forward sauce served with Argentine grilled beef.
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Chimichurri flank steak
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BEHIND THE DISH · Argentina · Río de la Plata
Chimichurri flank steakBeyond the plate.
Bright herbs against browned beef make an immediately appealing pair. Chimichurri also opens a window onto the asado: a way of cooking in which the fire, the cook, and the time spent together all belong to the meal.
ORIGINS & EVOLUTION
A sauce within a larger tradition.
Chimichurri is closely associated with Argentine grilled meat and also belongs at the table in neighboring Uruguay. Parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, chili, and oil make a lively accompaniment to rich beef. Its place in this regional cooking is clearer than the many stories offered to explain its name.
The broader asado tradition is connected with the Pampas and gaucho culture, but it has spread well beyond the countryside. Today an asado can include sausages, several beef cuts, vegetables, and salads. Our single flank steak takes one part of that much larger meal and makes it manageable on a home grill.
CULTURAL IMPACT
Recognizable well beyond the steak.
Chimichurri helps give Argentine grilling a recognizable flavor without requiring every cut to receive the same treatment. It appears alongside salsa criolla, another familiar accompaniment, and can be spooned onto a choripán: the grilled chorizo sandwich often served early in an asado.
That movement between a steak platter and a sausage sandwich helps explain the sauce’s versatility. Its role is portable even when the meal changes. Here, the chopped parsley mixture stays separate from the raw meat and comes to the table as a finishing sauce, so each diner can choose how much to add.
SOCIAL HISTORY
The gathering lasts longer than the grilling.
Sunday gatherings with family and friends are a well-documented setting for Argentine asado. The meal has its own rhythm: small bites before the main cuts, conversation while the grill is tended, and appreciation for the asador who coordinates the cooking.
The gathering may continue into sobremesa, the conversation after eating. Seen in that setting, the bowl of sauce is one detail in a much larger act of hospitality. Our faster steak dinner can borrow the shared platter and the invitation to linger, without claiming to reproduce an entire Argentine asado.
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