I’m actually kind of glad it’s Monday. Getting older has its perks.
It’s not my usual feeling at the start of a week, but I’m eager to get back to the kitchen and create something fun. I want to try bold combinations and eat my weight in avocado toast.
Yesterday I flew home from Salt Lake City and spent much of the four-hour flight with four crying toddlers behind me. I took it in stride—airplane karma, I suppose—payback for a different long flight years ago when I talked for hours with a friend. Maybe fate balances things out on flights.
Now: steak.
Well, truthfully it’s mostly about the sauce.
I’ve been obsessed with chimichurri since last summer, after tasting a hanger steak drowned in a vibrant green sauce. That version was heavy on cilantro, which I love, so I’ve been making chimichurri the same way ever since.
If you dislike cilantro, fair warning: this chimichurri leans cilantro-forward. You can, however, adjust the parsley-to-cilantro ratio to suit your taste. Swap more parsley in if cilantro isn’t your thing.
This chimichurri blew me away. I’m already a big fan of flank steak, but the herby intensity of this sauce elevates everything. The tang from the red wine vinegar complements the steak, and a touch of sweetness on the meat creates a perfect balance.
I wanted to add a sweet element to the steak to counter the chimichurri’s acidity—brown sugar and garlic give the meat a caramelized edge that pairs beautifully with the bright sauce. The contrast is addictive.
Honestly, I was practically eating the chimichurri with a spoon. It’s that versatile—great on steak, roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, tacos, or simply as a dip.
The combination is simple but impactful: a straightforward, saucy chimichurri and a sweet, garlicky flank steak. They’re easy to make and flexible—serve with salads, tortillas, or just enjoy as-is. Slice the steak thin against the grain, spoon the chimichurri over, and savor every bite.
Garlic Brown Sugar Flank Steak with Chimichurri
4
with a lot of extra chimichurri
30 mins
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Ingredients
- 2 pound flank steak, about 1-inch thick
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
chimichurri
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 2/3 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
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Place the flank steak in a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, brown sugar and minced garlic. Pour the mixture over the steak, cover, and refrigerate to marinate. Marinate anywhere from 2 hours to overnight for best flavor.
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When ready to cook, grill, broil or pan-sear the steak to your preferred doneness. To broil, preheat the broiler and set the oven rack as close to the heat source as possible. Place the steak on a broiler pan or baking sheet and broil about 5 minutes per side for medium to medium-well, depending on your oven.
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Let the steak rest 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain. Serve immediately topped with chimichurri.
chimichurri
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Combine parsley, cilantro, oregano and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the leaves are finely chopped. Add the red wine vinegar and pulse briefly. With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until just combined. Stir in salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
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I appreciate you so much!
(Okay, now I’m over Monday.)