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Grilled Steakhouse Dinner with Mint-Cilantro Chimichurri

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Mint-Cilantro Chimichurri

  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • ½ jalapeño, quartered and deseeded (or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Steak, Asparagus, and Sweet Potato

  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) 1 1/2 to 2 inch thick t-bone steak, fat trimmed to 1/4-inch
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
  • 1 large sweet potato, sliced into thin planks
  • Olive oil

Substitutions

  • Vegetarians—> just nix the steak and add a couple for veggies for a grilled veggie feast!
  • Mint and cilantro—> traditional chimichurri uses parsley, go with that! Basil, cilantro, mint, or any other soft herb will all be great here.
  • Red wine vinegar—> lemon juice is the best sub, then go with any light colored vinegar, like apple cider vinegar.
  • Garlic cloves—> 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Jalapeño—> serrano pepper, red chile, or red pepper flakes
  • Spice blend—> you can omit this entire spice blend situation and JUST season the steak and vegetables with salt and pepper. That’s how the Argentinians (the OG chimichurri creators) would do it!
  • T-bone—> use ANY meat! Pork chops, chicken thighs, any cut of steak. I am not a fan of filet mignon on the grill, I think it has too low an amount of fat to be really delicious and deserves to be cooked indoors in a cast iron skillet like I do here.
  • Asparagus—> Romano beans, squash, or zucchini (cut into thin planks like the sweet potato)
  • Sweet potato—> regular white potatoes will also work, microwave for an additional minute. Fennel would be fantastic, cut it into thin slices.

Instructions

  • To make the chimichurri: Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until finely chopped and combined into a sauce, 15 to 20 times. If your blender doesn’t have a pulse option, just blend over medium speed until finely chopped. Can make up to 4 hours in advance. (see notes about using a blender versus hand chopping chimichurri).
  • To make the spice blend that will go on the steak and veggies, stir together 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
  • Rub the steak with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the spice blend as long as 36 hours in advance of grilling. Trim off any large pieces of excess fat - I know fat is delicious, but this is what causes grill flare-ups! Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of fat in the steak.
  • Leave the steak uncovered (yes, uncovered) in a safe spot in your refrigerator so that it can dry out as much as possible before grilling. Drying out the skin helps get a fantastic crust on your meat, it doesn’t dry out the inside.
  • When it’s time to grill: take the steak out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes but up to 1 hour before grilling.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high (450°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place 1 large, sliced sweet potato in an even layer on a damp paper towel in the microwave. Cover with another damp paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes.
  • Toss 1 bunch asparagus and microwaved sweet potato slices on the baking sheet and toss with about 1 teaspoon oil per vegetable. You want the vegetables to be very lightly coated in oil, with zero excess. Season with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 teaspoon of the spice blend per vegetable. Scoot everything to the side and add the steak to the baking sheet.
  • Cook the steak for 5 minutes on the first side, until it has a nice crust and releases easily from the grill. Flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until an internal thermometer registers 120°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium.
  • Throw out the dirty parchment paper and return the steak to the baking sheet to rest. Now cook the asparagus and sweet potato for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nicely charred all over.
  • When the veggies are finished cooking, you’re ready to slice right into your steak. Make two big cuts down the length of the bone, then cut each piece of meat into 1/2-inch thick slices. Leave the steak like this, arranged around the bone, for a beautiful display.
  • Serve the steak and vegetables with chimichurri and enjoy immediately!

Notes

  • You’ll have leftover spice blend, use it for your next grilling night, or toss with veggies before roasting.
  • You can skip the sweet potato microwaving step, but it helps cook them through in the center. They’ll just be a bit starchy if you skip it.
  • If you have time, hand chop all of the ingredients for the chimichurri. It’s a pain in the butt, but it’s the way it’s meant to be done, and it really is a better sauce. You want to chop everything VERY finely.
  • This recipe easily doubles or triples. For a crowd, I suggest New York strip steaks (which are half of a t-bone!) instead of t-bones. T-bones I reserve for nights when it’s just me and George.
  • Grill ANY vegetables you like!!! They’re ALL delicious with this chimi
Author: Caroline Chambers