Easy dinner recipe: Grill up some flank steaks with chimichurri sauce tonight

When you’re looking for a simple weeknight dinner idea, look to your grill. Throw a steak or two, maybe some burgers or some chicken over the fire, and in minutes, you’ve got a meal.

This grilled flank steak recipe, from former Food columnist Russ Parsons, can’t be beat when it comes to simplicity and flavor. And the accompanying chimichurri sauce is easy to make too: Combine some garlic, fresh parsley and mint, oregano, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor and puree. It lends fresh, bright notes to the grilled steaks.

Simple as the dish is, it’s also a perfect choice when you’re wondering what to cook for company.

GRILLED FLANK STEAKS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Total time: 25 minutes | Serves 6

Note: Set the steak out about an hour before grilling to allow it to come to room temperature.

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

2 cloves garlic

1 cup coarsely chopped parsley, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup olive oil

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

With the food processor running, drop the garlic through the food tube to chop. Add the parsley, oregano and fresh mint and pulse several times to mince. Add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pulse a few times to achieve a coarse puree. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt as needed. (The recipe can be prepared to this point 2 hours in advance and held at room temperature.)

GRILLED FLANK STEAK

1 (1 1/2 - to 2-pound) flank steak

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Chimichurri sauce

1. Pat the flank steak dry on both sides with paper towel. Season each side with a generous one-fourth teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.

2. Just before cooking, brush each side with about 1 tablespoon chimichurri sauce. Grill over a hot fire, cooking about 1 minute on each side, then turning the steak 90 degrees and cooking the same side an additional minute before flipping the steak over to give each side nice grill marks. Repeat with the other side, cooking the steak a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Rest the steak 5 minutes before slicing. Cut across the grain and on a deep bias, in wide, thin slices. Serve, passing remaining chimichurri sauce on the side.

Each serving: 353 calories; 28 grams protein; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 26 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 56 mg. cholesterol; 636 mg. sodium.

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