This combination of seared skirt steak on top of carrots with a spicy dressing has appeared on my menu wall too many times to count because it is so darn tasty and convenient on a busy weeknight.
There are three simple elements for this dinner, and I love that you can pick this apart and use just one component of this dish to make another meal. The three parts of this meal are the steak, the chimichurri, and the carrot hash. These are independently awesome, but put them together and you have an out of this world dinner that no one would believe took you just thirty minutes to pull together.
I was extremely hesitant the first time I cooked the carrots as the start veggie in a meal. I like them, I just don't love them - but this recipe converted me.
I chose to sear a skinless skirt steak, but any cut of beef or even chicken would work beautifully. Chimichurri is a South American sauce made with herbs, garlic, and oil. The chimichurri in this recipe is unique because I added honey, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. These three ingredients are the secret to making the chimichurri pop on top of the steak and carrots.
Ingredients(makes two servings)
Olive oil (I like California Olive Ranch evoo)
3 tablespoons water
1 onion, diced
12 ounces of carrots, 1/2 inch diced
1 orange, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tablespoon butter
10 ounces skinless skirt steak
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
Carrot Hash
Squeeze the juice of orange and lemon into a small bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add onion and carrot and saute until the onion begins to caramelize about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of water and cook
until carrot is tender about 10 minutes. If water evaporates and carrot is still crunchy, add another tablespoon of water and repeat the step.
Note: I plan this meal on the same week that I also prepare Shepherds Pie which calls for both carrots and parsnips. These are great companion meals since you can use parsnips in the carrot hash as well.
Add citrus juice and cook until reduced slightly, 2 minutes more. Stir in butter and remove the pan from heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Keep covered and set aside.
Chimichurri
In the bowl of a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all) along with the garlic, vinegar, honey, and cayenne. Process until cilantro is chopped. Set aside.
Season and Sear Steak
Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add steak and cook until well browned and meat registers 125 degrees, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Resting your meat between cooking and slicing allows its juices to redistribute.
Plate and serve
Cut steak against the grain into ½-inch slices. Divide carrot hash evenly between 2 plates and top with steak slices. Spoon over chimichurri and serve.