Weekend Cooking: Churrasco with Chimichurri

One of these days, I need to actually post a recipe for something healthy.  Eh.  It's the stuff that is bad for you that get me the most excited to share.  Sorry.  So today I bring you more red meat from the July 2013 Food and Wine magazine.

Churrasco, a Portuguese term for grilled meat, is a backbone of many Latin American cuisines.  Have you ever seen the restaurants called "Churrascarias" that are all the rage these days?  Exactly.  You go and eat enough meat to last you a lifetime.  Anyway, the featured chef in July was Michael Cordua, a Nicaraguan-born American restaurateur, and this is his offering to us.  It is incredibly easy to make and so incredibly tasty.

Ingredients:

2 bunches curly parsley (8 ounces), thick stems discarded
1/3 cup garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup plus 3 TBL extra-virgin olive oil
3 TBL white wine vinegar
2 pounds trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1.  In a food processor, combine the parsley and garlic with the 3/4 cup olive oil and vinegar and pulse until smooth.  Refrigerate the chimichurri for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

2.  Using a sharp chef's knife, make a 1/4-inch, lengthwise cut in the top of the tenderloin.  Turning the tenderloin and rolling it out as you go, spiral-cut the meat until you have a long, rectangular piece about 1/4 inch thick.

3.  Light a grill.  Season both sides of the tenderloin with salt and pepper.  Rub all but one-third of the chimichurri over the meat and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, about 4 minutes for medium-rare meat.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

4.  Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the remaining chimichurri and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with the steak.

Wine:  Recommend a berry-dense, concentrated Syrah.

My note:  I actually used a flank steak for this recipe, which is flavorful and less expensive than the tenderloin.

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