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I’m so excited to have a special guest on the site today! I want to introduce you to Tim from BBQ Smarts— he’s an expert in all things grilling and today he’s sharing this fantastic, keto-friendly recipe for grilled skirt steak with chimichurri! I can’t wait for you to get a look at this recipe!
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (Keto-Friendly!)
Hi everyone, Tim from BBQ Smarts here, and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to share a recipe on Amber’s site. As you might have guessed, barbecue is my passion. I love to write about grilling, smoking, and outdoor cooking in general, so check out my site or Pinterest if our interests align!
Barbecue season is officially in full swing, and that’s great news for everyone living the low-carb life. There are so many keto-friendly recipes you can make on your grill, and skirt steak with chimichurri sauce might be my personal favorite. This recipe is quick to prepare and has as much flavor as any steak recipe you will find. It’s also super easy to scale up for get-togethers. Let’s dive in!
Give Chimichurri a Try!
Chimichurri is a sauce that’s absolutely bursting with flavor. The garlic and olive oil give it a rich pungency and bitterness, which is balanced by the acid and citrusy brightness of the vinegar and parsley. Unlike a lot of other steak sauces, chimichurri is uncooked, and you can let your food processor
do all the heavy lifting. Easy!
This sauce also allows for a ton of customization, and I’m not very opinionated when it comes to ingredients. Feel free to throw in fresh chili peppers instead of flakes, or substitute lemon juice for vinegar. As long as you have that base of parsley, garlic, and oil, you can take this any direction you want – based on your tastes or just what’s available in your kitchen.
One thing I would encourage you to do is leave some texture in the sauce. I’ve had chimichurri that’s been blended down to essentially a paste, and it’s definitely much more enjoyable (and visually appealing) when it’s more of a minced consistency.
How to Grill Perfect Skirt Steak
While skirt steak has become more popular in recent years, I still feel it’s underrated. Aside from ribeye, there’s nothing I’d rather grill on a hot summer day. I can admit it’s not the most beautiful cut in the butcher’s display case, but done right it will end up as tender and tasty as any other piece of meat.
The first step toward amazing skirt steak is letting it rise to room temperature, or somewhere close to it. Just add a generous amount of salt and allow it to rest on a rack while making the chimichurri. This is essentially a quick dry brine that will allow the salt to penetrate, and it also means the meat can come up to temperature quicker when grilling.
When you’re ready to get cooking, fire your grill up as hot as possible. I prefer the taste of charcoal, but propane is perfectly fine. Note that it might take a little bit longer to cook your steak on a propane grill, but either way we are talking 2-3 minutes per side. Basically as soon as you’ve got a nice sear, you’re done.
When cutting, pay attention to the grain, which runs across the narrow width of the steak, not with the length. That means you’ll have to cut sections before slicing against the grain. This should make more sense when you’ve got your steak in front of you, but this video (3:23 mark) by Alton Brown will clear up any confusion – and if you watch the whole thing, you can learn about grilling steak directly on charcoal.
(And by the way, flank steak is a wonderful substitute for skirt. However, it’s much more lean, so its flavor doesn’t quite compare to skirt.)
Thanks so much, Tim! I can’t wait to try this! Don’t forget to check out his site BBQ Smarts!
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
Perfectly grilled skirt steak topped with a bright chimichurri sauce is the perfect low-carb summer meal!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skirt steak
- 2 cups flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the skirt steak from the refrigerator, apply a generous amount of salt, and allow it to sit at room temperature while making the chimichurri.
- Add parsley, garlic, and shallot to food processor and grind to a finely chopped consistency.
- Combine processed ingredients in a bowl with oregano, pepper flakes, olive oil, and vinegar. Mix thoroughly and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- After allowing skirt steak to come up to room temperature for at least 30 minutes, sear it over a flaming hot grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes and take care to slice against the grain. Serve with a generous amount of chimichurri sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Flank steak is a wonderful substitute for skirt. However, it’s much more lean, so its flavor doesn’t quite compare to skirt.
