RECIPE: Sirloin Cap Steak With Chimichurri Sauce
The Sirloin Cap Steak, also called the ‘Coulotte” or the “Picanha” was popularized by Brazilian steakhouses. This a well-marbled steak, similar to a New York steak in appearance, that is a very versatile and takes on flavour well from marinades.
We’ve served the Sirloin Cap Steak with Chimichurri sauce, a tangy herb based sauce. This same sauce could also have been used as a marinade, using ½ as the marinade and the rest as the accompanying sauce.
INGREDIENTS
Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, finely chopped (no seeds)
- 1 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped oregano
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
Sirloin Cap Steak
- Fully defrosted your steak. Dry off the steaks with a paper towel, and season both sides with coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
- Season with salt and pepper, or your favourite dry rub, and grill over high heat to achieve a hard sear on the outside, which develops great flavour.
- Cook to your liking, and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Chimichurri Sauce
- Combine shallot, chile, garlic, vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl & let sit for 10 minutes.
- Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil. (Adjust seasoning if necessary).
- Use as a sauce and store the remainder in an airtight container refrigerated. (Can keep for a few days, but herbs will lose their brilliant green colour).
- If using as a marinade, place meat in a glass, stainless-steel, or ceramic dish.
- Toss with ½ of the chimichurri. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Use remainder as a sauce or store refrigerated.
PRO TIPS:
- When grilling or searing any steaks, getting the grill or pan temperature right which directly leads to getting the finished temperature right is critical to success. An infrared “point and shoot” digital read thermometer will tell you the temperature of your grill or pan.
- An instant read thermometer is a great tool to make sure those steaks are exactly at the perfect degree of doneness. Don’t be scared to experiment with time and temperature. Try slightly lower temperatures, and slightly longer cook times, or conversely, higher temps and shorter cook.
- A good rule of thumb; the thinner the steak, choose higher heat, shorter cooking time, and the thicker cuts, slightly lower heat with longer cooking times.
- Another fun technique to try is what I like to call the “Power Rest”. Normally, you’d take the steaks off the grill and serve it. But instead, try letting those steaks "carry over cook" on the coldest part of your grill. When you get to rare, place the steaks on the cool spot, usually right up front where there’s not much heat.
- This allows the steaks to rest somewhere warm, and carry over to medium rare at the same time. It gives you a few minutes to finish up other things in the kitchen and get ready for dinner. It’s multitasking that leads to a delicious, juicy steak!
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