The word Chimichurri reminds me so much of Chim-Chim Cher-ee that I can’t help but get the song stuck in my head. I would change the words a bit though, “Good luck will rub off when I barbecue you, or blow me a kiss (smoke), and that’s lucky, too.” Chimichurri is a sauce for grilled meats that originated in Argentina. It is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red vinegar. It also makes a fine marinade for flap steak on the grill. Here’s the real words:
Chim chiminey
Chim chiminey
Chim chim cher-oo!
Good luck will rub off when
I shake ‘ands with you
Or blow me a kiss
And that’s lucky too
Chim-Chim Cher-ee from “Mary Poppins”, composed by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman
The best meat for this is flap steak, because it is thin, meaty and marinades beautifully. It should be cooked on the grill on high heat, directly over the coals. Let it rest for a few minutes before chopping it up. Flap steak is available in most supermarkets.
Usually, I heat tortillas on the stove top, and I thought to myself, why not just put them on the grill? You know what, they were nice and soft, and fantastic!
Recipe: Chimichurri Marinated Flap Steak
Mis en place – Chimichurri, Chipotle, Soy Sauce, True Lemon and Cumin
Ingredients
1 lb flap steak
2 tablespoons prepared Chimichurri
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Chipotle powder
1 True Lemon packet, or juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
Put all the ingredients except for the steak in a non-reactive bowl and stir well to combine.
Pour over the meat, turn so both sides get covered, then refrigerate for at least an hour before putting on the grill.
Flap steak marinating in Chimichurri sauce
Quick notes
You can find Chimichurri in Hispanic stores, or you can make your own.
We really like grilled sweet peppers on the barbecue. They go wonderfully with these tacos. Usually, I put the peppers in a cast iron skillet, but I didn’t have that much room on the grill tonight, so they had to go naked. I just had to watch them more carefully.
Get your coals ready. When the coals are ready, put the peppers on the grill, not over the coals and cover the grill. They should be checked in about 10 minutes.
Turn the peppers, and put the marinated meat on the grill, over the coals.
Check the meat after about 5 minutes, turn and grill for another 5 minutes.
Remove all from the grill and let sit for at least five minutes before chopping.
Topping
Separately, chop the onion, cilantro and avocado. Put in a nice bowl and mix slightly with your hands.
Put the shredded cabbage in another nice bowl.
Put the shredded cheese in another nice bowl. Topping for tacos – chopped avocado, cilantro and onion; chopped cabbage, shredded cheese
Mix the yogurt and mayonnaise together and put this in yet another nice bowl.
The Meat
Using a cleaver or other sharp, heavy knife, chop the meat up into 1/2 to 1/4 inch pieces. Put on a nice platter or in a nice bowl. Meat chopped
Tortillas
Have ready a tortilla keeper.
Put the tortillas on the grill, cover the grill and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn, cover the grill, and grill about 1 more minute. Remove from the grill to the waiting tortilla keeper. Grilled Corn Tortilla
Service
Invite your dinner companions to put any of the toppings in their taco, and drizzle a little of the sauce on top. Bueno Gusto!
Wow, that looks really good. Where can I get Chimichurri from?
You can make your own, it’s very similar to Pesto sauce, it’s just parsley, garlic and olive oil.