From My Cookbook…Dave’s Cuban Churrasco Chimichurri Steak
I love Cuban food! Here is a delicious skillet churrasco chimichurri steak recipe, complete with sweet plantains and Cuban spinach. Straight from…Miami! That’s right, a copycat from one of my favorite restaurants.
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
Introduction
If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that Diane and I like to travel. And one of the benefits of travel is getting to try different foods from around the world. When I try a delicious new dish from our travels, I’ll typically try to replicate it when I get home so I can eat it again and again in the comfort of my own kitchen. And that’s the way it is with this recipe. I used to travel to Miami often on business (and pleasure), and typically I stayed almost right next to one of my favorite restaurants ever. It has delicious Cuban food with a wonderful atmosphere, and it’s right in front of the Miami airport. One of the challenges you will face is deciding which delicious dish to order. The seafood is absolutely amazing! If you are ever in Miami, I suggest giving it a try! Click on the link in Note 3 to learn more.
Dave Giustozzi’s Cuban Churrasco Chimichurri Steak
The origin of this recipe is Catch of the Day restaurant in Miami, FL where it is called churrasco steak or Churrasco a la Parrilla, simply grilled steak in Spanish. Also see David Giustozzi’s Skillet Cuban Skirt Chimichurri Steak for a similar recipe also modeled after Catch of the Day but with chimichurri instead of the marinade specified here. I always chose the sweet plantains and Cuban spinach. Delicious! Or, if it’s summer, I serve it with simple corn on the cob.
Ingredients
1 1/2-2 lb. skirt steak
½ cup fresh lime juice from about 4 limes
Pure olive oil
David Giustozzi’s chimichurri sauce (see below)
Directions
1. Cut flank steak horizontally, tenderize (using a tined meat tenderizer such as a Westmark Steakmaster A that will cut the tendons. Tenderize against the grain, then with the grain and then cut into individual serving size pieces. Rub the steak with the oil, place in a Ziplock bag with the lime juice and marinate overnight or at least 4 hours. The citric acid in the lime juice helps tenderize the meat.
2. Preheat cast iron or carbon steel skillet with olive oil. Add steak and sear, about 4 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook on other side. Remove steaks after a few minutes, cooking no more than medium rare. Remove steak to dish, cover. Allow steak to rest 10 minutes before serving. Alternatively, use your grill to grill to no more than medium rare.
3. Cut steak across the grain in thin slices, spoon chimichurri sauce over and serve. Best with plantains in syrup and spinach.
David Giustozzi’s Chimichurri Sauce
When I was in the Air Force at Shaw AFB, SC from 1979-1983, there was a guy I worked with of Argentinean descent. He invited me over one night and made a steak with chimichurri sauce. That was the first time I heard of chimichurri, but I have been in love with it since. Then, when I was working at American Airlines, I used to travel to Miami where I would stay right outside the airport and eat at a little restaurant called Catch of the Day. It is right across the street from the Marriott hotel where I used to stay, and I always made it a point to eat there. Well, the seafood is wonderful as you can imagine, and the atmosphere is fantastic as well, and I always try to eat outside. In fact, my wife and I still make it a point to go there if we are on our way to the Caribbean and have to spend the night in Miami.
One of the menu items at Catch of the Day is grilled churrasco steak, or churrasco a la parrilla in Spanish. It is a wonderful grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. I like to order it with sweet plantains in syrup and Cuban-style spinach. I enjoy this dish so much that I am always torn between ordering it or some wonderful fresh seafood. So, to solve the problem, I came home and recreated it, along with the plantains and spinach!
While the churrasco steak at Catch of the Day came with its own marinade, chimichurri sauce is a standard complement to many churrasco steaks and other Latin American steak dishes.
Ingredients
¼ cup hot water
2 teaspoons dried oregano (Note 1)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/3 cups flat leaf parsley, about 1 bunch
2/3 cup cilantro, about ½ bunch
5-6 medium garlic cloves (Note 2)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar (Note 4)
2 shallots
Juice and zest from one
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions
Soak the oregano in the water for a little bit until it reconstitutes. Discard water.
Place all ingredients in a mini blender (preferred) or regular blender and pulse until just combined into a paste but not reduced to a liquid. (Note 3). If you need to add a little more olive oil, feel free to do so.
Notes
If you are fortunate enough to grow your own fresh oregano, use 4 teaspoons fresh and eliminate the soaking. It’s so easy to grow and thrives in the hot sun. Extreme cold will kill it unfortunately.
While delicious, this is a lot of garlic, and you will be like a fire breathing dragon until the next evening by eating a lot of sauce with this much garlic. If you have to be out in public or your mate does not like it, you may consider reducing the quantity. For use, we have a rule of thumb for garlic…”better too much than not enough!”
You can make this up to about 4 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Just note that the olive oil will congeal and turn cloudy so bring it to room temperature before using.
One time I did not have red wine vinegar and I was up to my neck in cooking and could not stop to go buy some, so I made an on-the-fly substitution and used ¼ cup red wine (it was a blend) and about a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar. It was fantastic! In fact, that is what is in the picture, above, and you can see it gives the sauce a red hue. Not all substitutions turn our so well but this one did!
Dave Giustozzi’s Sweet Plantains in Syrup
3 large ripe plantains
4 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups sugar or to taste
1 ½ cup water
½ cup white wine
1tsp vanilla
Peel plantains and make 3 diagonal gashes on each side. (Optional: Cut plantains into 2 inch chunks). Melt butter slowly in deep frying pan. Add plantains. Turn heat to moderate and brown about 10 minutes, turning or stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with sugar and pour water carefully over plantains. Boil for ten minutes longer. Add wine and vanilla and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Increase heat and boil for 15 minutes longer on until syrup thickens. Serves 6.
Dave Giustozzi’s Cuban Style Spinach
2 9 oz. pkgs fresh spinach, rinsed, drained, water left on leaves
12 pearl onions, peeled and sliced vertically
4 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil, pure, not extra virgin
Directions
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a 12-quart stockpot. When tender, add spinach and cover, turning spinach often until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Dave’s Cuban Churrasco
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Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating hearty food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy
Catch Of The Day: https://www.catchofthedayrestaurant.com