Grilled Skirt Steak Arrachera with Homemade Chimichurri sauce and Randy’s Famous Margaritas
The perfect Cinco De Mayo meal
Cinco de Mayo is almost upon us, and I am excited to celebrate with our neighbors to the south with this delicious recipe for traditional grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce (also known as arrachera), with a tasty, classic margarita accompaniment.
Skirt or flank steak is a terrific cut of beef but needs a good soak in a marinade to bring out its flavor
The perfect Cinco De Mayo meal
Cinco de Mayo is almost upon us, and I am excited to celebrate with our neighbors to the south with this delicious recipe for traditional grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce (also known as arrachera), with a tasty, classic margarita accompaniment.
Skirt or flank steak is a terrific cut of beef but needs a good soak in a marinade to bring out its flavor
Who invented the Margarita? (Probably not Randy)
Like many popular drinks, more than one person has claimed to have invented the margarita. One of the more popular stories is that the margarita was invented in 1938 by Carolos “Danny” Herrera at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria, halfway between Tijuana and Rosarito in the Baja region of California. It was said to have been created for Marjorie King, a frequent customer and former Ziegfeld Follies dancer who happened to be allergic to many hard spirits, but not tequila.
My favorite margarita recipe was handed down to me by my mother-in-law Marie. It was handed down to her from someone else so the origins of Randy’s Famous Margaritas are not really known; in other words, no one is entirely sure who this “Randy” character was. But in our minds, it is a world famous recipe! (The recipe below does seem to bear a passing resemblance to the “Cadillac” margarita version). Served in a glass with a salted rim, a classic margarita is the perfect combination of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. This version adds a little more complexity in the guise of three types of orange liqueur.
Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Serrano peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- Juice of 1 orange
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoons Ancho chile powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 bottle (10 ounces) Mexican beer
- 1½ to 2-pound skirt or flank steak
Instructions
- Using a mortar or molcajete, combine the onions, garlic and Serrano pepper. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Using the pestle, grind the mixture until it becomes a coarse paste. You will need to put a little effort in this! Make sure to process until it becomes a paste.
- Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl. Add the citrus juices, cilantro, smoked paprika, Ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and beer. Mix to combine.
- Place the skirt or flank steak in a large, heavy plastic storage bag. Pour marinade over the steak. Seal bag and place on a baking sheet pan (in case the mixture leaks). Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- When ready to grill steak, remove from the refrigerator and let meat get to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat grill to medium-high. Remove steak from marinade and drain. Discard the marinade.
- Grill steak on direct heat for approximately 5 minutes. Turn steak over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. The temperature should read between 125 and 130 for medium rare. Remove steak from heat and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. The meat temperature will raise approximately 5 degrees during the resting period. Always slice against the grain for the most tender cut of this meat. Serve with the chimichurri sauce.
Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch Italian parsley, stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed, dried and chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or more as needed to make the sauce the consistency you want)
Instructions
- Place parsley, cilantro, garlic and capers in a bowl. Mix to combine. Add the vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper and stir to combine. Slowly pour in olive oil and mix well. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more olive oil. Let sauce rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Randy’s Famous Margaritas
Ingredients
- 3 cups Jose Cuervo margarita mix
- 7 ounces Jose Cuervo Gold tequila
- 5 ounces triple sec
- 3½ ounces Grand Marnier®
- 1½ ounces Cointreau
Instructions
- Spread salt evenly on a plate.
- Cut a notch in the middle of a lime wedge; slide the lime around the rim of a cocktail glass.
- Tilt the glass and roll the outer edge in the salt. Shake off excess.
- Place the margarita mix, tequila, triple sec, Grand Marnier, and Cointreau in a pitcher and stir.
- When ready to serve, pour margarita mixture into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.
- Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim and serve. Of course you can skip the cocktail shaker and just pour this delicious concoction right over ice. It's a winner either way.