Nicaraguan Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

I made this one night when we had guests coming for dinner.  I must say... it was delicious beyond belief!  Yes, I did buy the fresh herbs...but when you do this... you wanna do it right.  Oh, and my market didn't have skirt steak, so I went with flank steak and chopped it up into portion sizes.

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp salt
2 C lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
1/2 C fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1 C olive oil
1 T crushed red pepper
3 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of extra fat

Chimichurri:  Place the crushed garlic on your cutting board and sprinkle salt over it.  Wait a minute or so:  you will notice some moisture leaching from the garlic.  Holding your knife blade almost parallel to the cutting board, scrape the blade over the chopped garlic a few times, turning the garlic into a semi-soft paste.  Place the garlic paste in a small mixing bowl.
Add the parsley, oregano, vinegar, oil and crushed red pepper in the bowl with the garlic paste and stir well to combine.

Serve or store:  To store for later use, place in an airtight container and refrigerate.  Chimichurri can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Marinate the steak (that's what I did.  I did 2 days!)  If desired, cut the large skirt steak into smaller steaks.  Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag or deep bowl and pour 2 C of the chimichurri over it, making sure to coat all the surfaces of the meat.  If using a plastic bag, press out as much air as possible before sealing the bag.  If using a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat and marinade, creating an airtight cover.  Allow meat to marinate for at least an hour.

Grill the steak:  Preheat the grill to the highest temperature, close the lid and wait 15 minutes.  Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.
Remove the steaks from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip off, and place on the grill.  Lower the heat to medium-high, close the lid, and cook for 4 minutes.  If you tend to get flare-ups on your grill, you may want to leave the lid open; this will result in a longer cooking time.  Turn the steaks over and cook for another 4 minutes to reach an internal temp of 125 to 130 degrees for medium-rare or until it reaches the desired doneness.  (I like well done)

To serve:  Place the remaining 1 1/2 C of chimichurri in a small bowl and servve with the grilled skit steak.