This recipe from my childhood grew up over the years as I grew as a cook and — in its final form — it has changed into something simpler and more representative of my relationship with Nate, highlighting both of our strengths in the kitchen. Nate is all about technique (and very good at cooking meat) while I tend to be more of the flavor-combiner/mad scientist sauce making type, and this recipe relies on the success of both of these schools of thought. Nate’s well executed marinated steak is the perfect platform for this fresh herb chimichurri which will sear your face off and keep you coming back for more.
Tiger Cry Steak:
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2 beef or buffalo steaks (any kind will do, but we used buffalo top sirloin), 8 ounces each, trimmed of fat and silver skin
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¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 stalk of lemongrass, tender white interior sliced thinly, green and husks discarded
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2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
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2 tablespoons lime juice
Mix the pepper, lemongrass, soy sauce, and lime juice together to make a quick marinade then transfer to a plastic bag big enough to hold the meat. Add the steaks to the bag, distribute the marinade evenly, then marinate the meat in the fridge for a couple of hours to overnight (overnight is best). Before cooking, allow the steaks to come up to room temperature and be patted dry.
On the grill or stovetop, cook the steaks for 4–5 minutes on one side to create a nice sear, then flip them and cook for another 3–5 minutes. For medium-rare steak, test the temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure the interior is around 135 degrees. Allow meat to rest for 10 minutes, reserving the meat juices, then serve with chimichurri.
Thai Style Chimichurri:
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2 cups of fresh cilantro leaves, packed, some stems are okay.
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½ cup of fresh mint leaves, packed
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4–5 thai chilies, stems removed
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1 shallot, roughly chopped
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2 large cloves of garlic
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2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
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⅓ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
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¼ cup vegetable oil
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Leftover meat drippings
In a food processor, combine the cilantro, mint, chiles, shallot, and garlic and pulse until the ingredients are all finely minced. Mix the fish sauce, lime juice, vegetable oil, and meat drippings together into a vessel with a spout and pour into the food processor with the blade running. Blend until it becomes a smooth sauce. Serve with rested meat.
Serves 4.
