It’s no secret that Americans love their meat.
We eat more beef than any other country on Earth.
That said, it can be difficult to find good quality cuts of beef at your local grocery store.
Churrasco is an Argentinean cut of beef which is prized due its high fat content and tender texture.
Churrasco is also known as “a big, juicy steak” or “beefsteak.”
What Is Churrasco?
The word “churrasco” comes from two Spanish words: ‘charqui’ (meaning dry) and ‘carne de res’ (meaning flesh).
Thus, churrasco literally means “dry flesh.”
While this may sound like something you would only serve for dinner if you were having a barbecue, churrasco is actually one of Argentina’s most popular dishes.
In Argentina, there are three types of churrasco recipes:
- Beef churrasco with chimichurri sauce
- Beef churrasco with chimichurri sauce and vegetables
- Beef churrasco with chimichurri sauce, potatoes, carrots, onions, green peas, and corn
Argentina has some of the best beef in the world.
In fact, they rank second behind Brazil when it comes to producing the highest quality beef.
It was during the time of colonization by Spain that Argentines learned how to preserve their beef so well.
The technique used to produce these steaks is called “enrojado” or “marinated.” This method involves soaking the meat in salt and spices for 24 hours before cooking.
As a result, the meat retains much of its original flavor.
This type of preparation allows the meat to develop a nice crust while keeping the inside very tender.
However, since churrasco is often served medium-rare, it is important to make sure the steak cooks evenly throughout.
What Are The Ingredients In A Churrasco Recipe?
The key ingredient in a churrasco recipe is chimichurri, a tangy condiment traditionally made from parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
It has been popular since Argentina became independent from Spain in 1816.
Today, people all over the world enjoy this delicious dish.
There are many different types of chimichurri depending upon where you live.
In South America there are two distinct styles: one with cilantro (called piquillada), and another without (called alfajoreado).
You will often see both names used interchangeably.
In addition to chimichurri, a typical churrasco recipe includes some type of seasoning such as soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and/or tomato paste.
Some recipes call for garlic powder or onion powder as well.
While these flavorings work fine on their own, they tend to overwhelm the delicate flavors of chimichurri.
Step-by-step instructions for making churrasco
1.
Marinate the steak overnight in a mixture of chimichurri, soy sauce, lemon juice, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce.
I prefer not to use tomatoes because they contain acidity which would change the taste of the finished product.
2.
Grill the steak until medium rare, approximately 10 minutes per side.
To test if the steak is done enough, insert a knife into the center of the steak.
If the knife comes out clean, remove the steak from the grill.
If you want to go ahead and serve immediately, place the steak directly onto a cutting board and cover it with foil so it doesn’t continue cooking.
Otherwise, let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing it thinly across the grain.
How Do You Make Churrasco?
The most basic form of churrasco is called flank steak (tenderloin).
Flank steaks have been cured for days before being cooked over hot coals for hours, resulting in a delicious medium-rare steak with a crispy exterior.
If you prefer not to cure your meat, you may use boneless ribeye steaks instead.
This will give you a nice flavor but won’t result in quite the same crispiness.
You can also substitute skirt steak for flank steak if you don’t want to bother curing them.
However, this type of steak has a much tougher texture compared to flank steak, so you might consider using a different cut like filet mignon.
Ingredients for making churrasco include:
- Flank steak or rib eye steak
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Cilantro
- Lemon juice
- Garlic powder
- White wine vinegar
- Horseradish
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Sugar
- Ground cumin
- Red pepper flakes
- Bay leaves
- Mint
- Oregano
- Basil
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
These ingredients should all go into one gallon jar of water, along with 1/4 cup salt.
You need to soak these ingredients overnight, covering with cheesecloth to prevent flies from laying eggs inside the jar.
After soaking, strain out the liquid and add fresh water, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, sugar, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, ground cumin, mint, oregano, basil, carrots, tomatoes, horseradish, white wine vinegar, and olive oil.
Stir well to combine, cover, and place in refrigerator overnight.
After an overnight soak, drain off the excess liquid and pat dry the steak pieces.
Place the steak in a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients in order listed above, mix well, and leave covered in fridge overnight again.
In the morning, remove the mixture from the fridge and let sit until room temperature.
Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the remaining marinade, reserving only half of the spices.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, brushing both sides of each piece of steak with additional olive oil.
Grill the meat for approximately 15 minutes per side, depending upon thickness.
When done, transfer the meat to plates and top each serving with reserved spice blend.
What Is The History Of Churrasco?
The word “churrasco” comes from two Spanish words: “chouriço” (meaning sausage) and “carne de res” (which means beef).
In Argentina, this type of beefsteak was traditionally cooked over wood fires until charred on all sides.
Today, most cooks use electric grills for cooking churrasco.
In Argentina, there are several styles of churrascos, including picadillo, parrillada, and bife de chorizo.
You can buy these types of steaks pre-made, but they tend to lack flavor.
To add flavor, you should try making your own churrasco recipe!
What Are Some Different Ways To Cook Churrasco?
When you buy churrasco, look for one with a reddish-purple appearance.
This indicates that the muscle fibers have been broken down by intense heat during cooking.
There are several different methods for preparing this delicious cut of beef.
Here’s what you should know about them.
- Grilling
- Pan frying
- Sautéing
- Broiling
How to Grill Churrasco
If you want to grill churrasco, you will need to get yourself some direct grills so you can control how much charring occurs on each side.
You will also need a heavy duty spatula to flip the steak without tearing it apart.
To prepare your churrasco, start by cutting off all visible fat from the steak (reserve this).
Make sure the steak has been trimmed of excess sinew and connective tissue before proceeding.
Next, rub both sides of the steak with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Then place the steak on a hot grill pan over medium heat until it starts to sizzle (about 1 minute per side).
Flip the steak and repeat seasoning and timing instructions above.
After flipping the steaks, let the steak rest for 3 minutes while you clean up the grill.
How to Pan Fry Churrasco
For those who don’t own a gas range, this method may not work well for you.
It requires constant attention when pan frying the steak because it is so easy to burn the outside if you aren’t careful.
Start by trimming away any excess fat from the steak.
Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper.
Place the steak in a small bowl and add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the bowl.
Heat the pan over medium heat and swirl around the oil until it begins to smoke slightly.
Remove the pan from the stovetop and carefully place the steak into the pan.
Cook the steak for 2 minutes.
Using tongs, turn the steak over and quickly remove the pan from the stovetop.
Let the steak rest for 3 minutes while you clean up the pan.
Repeat the same process twice more until all four sides of the steak are seared.
If you plan to serve the steak immediately after finishing cooking it, make sure you use a nonstick skillet.
Otherwise, pour additional oil into the pan and wipe out any excess using paper towels.
How to Sauté Churasco
This method is best suited for large pieces of meat like flank steak, ribeyes, or hanger steaks.
However, smaller portions of churrasco are perfectly acceptable!
How to Broil Churrasco
The broiler is perfect for cooking thicker cuts of meat such as churrasco.
Start by trimming away any extra fat from the top half of the steak.
Season the entire piece of meat with salt and pepper.
Lay the steak flat on a baking sheet and brush both sides with an even layer of olive oil.
Put the tray in the oven and set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 C) for 10 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) and bake the steak for another 15 minutes.
After 20 minutes, flip the steak and cook it for an additional 5 minutes.
Repeat steps two through five until the desired color has developed throughout the steak.
What Are Some Popular Churrasco Recipes?
There are plenty of churrasco recipes out there – but here are three popular ones you should try if you haven’t already!
- The first one I want to talk about is called “Pollo al Chimichurri.” It’s a chicken dish coated with chimichurri sauce (which is basically just olive oil, oregano, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice).
- You take boneless skinless chicken breasts and coat them in chimichurri sauce.
- Then, you grill those suckers until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- This dish is delicious served over pasta, rice, potatoes, or even vegetables like zucchini.
- If you have leftover sauce from this recipe, use it to make another classic American favorite – macaroni and cheese!
- Next up we have “Cebolla de Carne con Salsa Verde.” This dish features chopped onions sauteed in butter along with green peppers, tomatoes, and basil.
- Once cooked down, the mixture gets tossed in a jar full of fresh salsa verde (basil-infused olive oil) and refrigerated before serving.
- Serve this tasty side dish alongside roasted veggies or baked sweet potato fries.
- And don’t forget to top it off with some avocado slices!
- If you’re looking for something unique, give “Carne Asada Tacos” a shot.
- These tacos feature flank steak marinated in adobo seasoning mixed with lime juice and cilantro.
- After cooking, the steak gets sliced thin and placed into corn tortillas.
- Next comes a layer of shredded cabbage seasoned with salt and pepper, followed by ground black beans, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
- Finally, the taco is topped off with melted cheese.
- Delicious!
What Are Some Tips For Making The Perfect Churrasco?
Here are some tips for cooking a delicious churrasco:
- Marinate the steak with chimichurri sauce before grilling.
- You can add fresh herbs like oregano and rosemary while marinating.
- Use a cast iron grill pan over medium heat when grilling.
- When searing the steak, move the plate around so the sides get nice and browned too.
- Once done, let the steak rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
- To finish off the meal, top the steak with chimichurri sauce and cheese!
How Do You Serve Churrasco?
When cooking churrasco, you want to make sure that the steak has been properly marinated so that all of the flavors have time to work together before serving.
This is especially important if you’re grilling this dish outdoors.
If you don’t give the meat enough time to let the flavor penetrate throughout the entire piece of meat, you won’t get the best results when eating this delicious Argentinean delicacy!
A simple rule of thumb for preparing churrasco is to allow about two hours for marinating.
Once you’ve done that, you should grill the steak over medium-high heat until there is just a little bit of pink left inside of the steak.
When you’re ready to serve, slice the steak into thin slices across the grain.
Serve each portion topped with chimichurri sauce, sliced avocado, and fresh cilantro leaves.
If you’d prefer to prepare churrasco indoors using a grill pan, you will need to reduce the temperature setting from medium-high to low.
You may even consider placing aluminum foil under the grate of the pan.
Be careful not to burn yourself while doing this – you could end up with second degree burns on your hands!
Another option is to use a broiler instead of a grill.
Broiling is similar to baking except that the food cooks directly above the heating element rather than being placed on top of it.
What Are Some Common Side Dishes To Serve With Churrasco?
There are many different types of sides dishes that go well with churrasco.
You will typically see these served alongside it, but they don’t need to be eaten along side each other.
These dishes should complement one another so they all taste delicious together! Some examples include potatoes, rice, pasta, salad, corn on the cob and bread.
If you want to make this meal even better, you could add cheese to the side dish list.
Cheese pairs perfectly with beef steaks because it adds flavor while keeping them moist.
For example, try pairing churrasco with French Brie or Blue Stilton cheeses.
What Are Some Of The Best Wines To Pair With Chur
When cooking churrasco, you want to make sure you choose a wine that complements the flavor profile of this dish.
In general, red wines go well with fatty meats like churrasco.
For instance, if you were going for something bolder, such as cabernet sauvignon or merlot, a hearty Spanish style Rioja would work nicely.
If you prefer a lighter option, try pinot grigio or riesling.
The acidity level will determine how much your wine needs to taste sweet.
So, when choosing a white wine, consider whether you’d rather have dry or slightly sweet wine.
When picking out a dessert wine, you should always look for one with low alcohol (usually under 14%) so it won’t overpower your meal.
Also, don’t forget about beer! Pairing beer with food often leads to a delicious combination.
A light lager goes well with most foods, but dark beers tend to complement heavier fare better.
Some popular choices include pilsner, stout, or IPA.
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skirt steak
- 2 teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano minced fresh
Instructions
- Collect all of the ingredients.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high.
- Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper.
- Strip the steaks into 2-inch strips.
- Roll the skirt steak strips into coils and thread 3–4 on large metal skewers.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side on the grill.
- Remove the meat from the heat when it is fully cooked (internal temperature of 155 to 165 F).
- While the meat is resting, make a small dish with the salt, pepper, olive oil, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, parsley, and oregano.
- Pour over the skirt steak and serve with your preferred side dishes.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.