Chili Cilantro Grilled Steak with Tomato Salsa

Garden Chef Christina Curry wowed the crowd this past Thursday with her demonstration and tasting at Cocktails in the Garden.  Grilled steak was paired with a light salsa made from juicy summer tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro and onion.  Here are a few great tips for creating marinades.  For extra flavor and smokiness add cumin and smoked paprika.  When pureeing the marinade, for soft stemmed herbs like cilantro and flat leaf parsley, save time and throw in stems and all.  Remove the stems for harder stemmed herbs like rosemary and oregano since they tend to be bitter. 

Avoid throwing super cold meat on a hot grill, so let that marinade do its magic at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling.  Is your mouth watering yet?  Hold that knife…let the meat rest for a few minutes before enjoying.  You’ll be rewarded by a more tender and juicy bite. 

We hope you’re inspired to fire up that grill and enjoy this easy summer supper.  Pairs well with cocktails and salsa music!

Chili Cilantro Grilled Steak with Tomato Salsa

1 T chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 cloves garlic

½ bunch plus 2 T cilantro

2 T red wine vinegar

½-1 cup olive oil

1 lb skirt steak

2 cups tomato, diced

1/4 cup green onion, sliced

3 T cup red onion, finely diced

1/3 cup lime juice

salt & pepper, to taste

tortilla chips, optional

In a blender or food processor, combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic, 1/2 bunch cilantro, red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Blend until smooth and pour over the skirt steak.  Marinate for at least 20 minutes before grilling over medium-high heat to desired temperature.

In a medium bowl, toss together the diced tomato, green onion, red onion, lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a touch of olive oil, and salt to taste.  Serve sliced skirt steak with salsa.  Add tortilla chips for some crunch.

Find more Garden Chef recipes here.