Grilled Skirt Steak with Spinach Chimichurri

Skirt steak is a long and lean cut of meat that tastes best when cooked on a hot grill for just a few minutes a side. Serving it thinly sliced makes it go a long way. The steak can be prepared ahead of time for a dinner party and tastes equally delicious served at room temperature. I made this last week for “my kids” (Ryan and our three baseball roommates) because they were about dying for some red meat. I served the steak with a mixed green salad and skin-on mashed potatoes. I made it my way by adding a chimichurri sauce, which is an Argentinian accompaniment. It is a pesto-like sauce traditionally made with parsley as its base, but I used spinach for some additional nutrients. If you have leftovers, we of course did not, use it for a great sandwich the next day. 

 Makes: 4-5 main course servings
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

1- 2 lb skirt steak
1/8 cup vegetable oil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
chili powder
paprika

For Chimichurri:
1 big handful of fresh spinach
1 clove garlic
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp red chili flakes
zest and juice of one lime
1/4 cup olive oil

• Preheat the grill on high heat until it reaches about 300 degrees.
• While the grill is heating, liberally season both sides of the steak with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika. Rub the vegetable oil on both sides to create a rub. When it cooks the oil will cause the steak to have a little crust, which I find really desirable.
• To make the chimichurri, combine all of the ingredients except of the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse to combine, and drizzle the olive oil to make into a paste. You may not need all of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Put the steak on the grill and cook for seven minutes per side, closing the grill between flips. 14 minutes total cooking time will give a medium cooking temperature.
• Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes on a baking sheet or cutting board. You can lightly tent foil over the steak to keep it warm.
• Cut into thin, 1/2 inch slices on the bias. Drizzle with chimichurri to serve.