Ok I know carne asada is a Mexican dish and chimichurri is Argentinian, but trust me, they're meant to be together. Carne asada translates to "grilled meat" so it can take on a lot of meanings. The marinade I use is citrus based with a few other aromatics added in. The marinade and the chimichurri have a lot of the same ingredients, so they complement each other nicely.
Chimichurri:
I've seen a lot of chimichurri recipes where you stick everything in a food processor or blender. You know I love a good shortcut, but chimichurri tastes 1000x better if you chop all the ingredients by hand. I find that the herbs and olive oil become bitter if they're in the blender too long. The texture is also way better if you prepare it by hand. I know it's more work but this is one of those times where I definitely think it's worth the effort. I like to let the shallots, peppers, and garlic sit in the vinegar a bit before I add in the chopped herbs and olive oil. This kind of pickles the vegetables and brings a lot of brightness to the sauce. It's the perfect condiment for so many things! I used the extra from this recipe on fried eggs and avocado toast - yum!
Grilling:
I had full intentions of grilling this meat outside but the good ol' Wyoming wind had other plans. I ended up searing it on a cast iron grill pan and finishing it in the oven. It turned out delicious and is an excellent alternative if you don't have a grill.
Serving:
This recipe can be served in a variety of ways. I served it with corn tortillas and fajita/taco toppings. But, it is also great on it's own served like a steak. Or you can make a grilled salad like this grilled fajita salad, burrito bowls, you name it! Don't forget that chimichurri though. No matter what you choose to make with it, you're going to love it!
Pronghorn Carne Asada with Chimichurri
Ingredients
Carne Asada
- 1 lb pronghorn bottom round (or other flat steak cut)
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 1 orange, juiced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 fresno chili pepper, seeds and some membrane removed, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeds and some membrane removed, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
Chimichurri
- 3 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 fresno chili pepper, seeds and some membrane removed, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeds and some membrane removed, finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
Carne Asada
- Mix together all marinade ingredients in a glass container. Add in meat. Marinate for 2 hours before cooking. Don't marinate for longer than 2 hours or meat will become mealy.
- Heat cast iron grill pan over high heat. Also preheat oven to 375°F. Add enough oil to coat the grates. Add meat to pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Finish cooking in the oven until internal temperature reaches 120°F. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice into ¼" slices and serve with chimichurri.
- Alternatively, you can cook this on the grill. Cook over medium high heat for 6-7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 120°F. for medium-rare. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into ¼" slices and serve with chimichurri.
Chimichurri
- Make sure all finely chopped ingredients are really finely chopped!
- Mix together shallots, garlic, peppers, and salt in a small/medium glass bowl. Add red wine vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add in cilantro, parsley and olive oil. Mix until well-combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Pull out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving to let the olive oil soften.
- To freeze: add chimichurri to small freezer-safe container. Pour a layer of olive oil over the top. Cover with plastic wrap touching the olive oil and place lid on container. Freeze for up to 3 months. The color may change a bit but the flavor will still be there.
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