Nicaraguan Style Churrasco Recipes

NICARAGUAN-STYLE STEAK / CHURRASCO

Steps:

• Place the piece of tenderloin lengthwise on the cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, cut the meat into 4 flat, even horizontal strips. Place each strip between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the side of a cleaver or with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish.
• Prepare the chimichurri. Combine the parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and process to make a thick sauce. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or vinegar as necessary; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Place half the chimicurri in a bowl or crock for serving; pour the remainder over the meat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator, 30 minutes, turning several times.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Drain the beef and place it on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium- rare. Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce.

NICARAGUAN-STYLE STEAK / CHURRASCO

Steps:

• 1. Place the piece of tenderloin lengthwise on the cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, cut the meat into 4 flat, even horizontal strips. Place each strip between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the side of a cleaver or with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish.2. Prepare the chimichurri. Combine the parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and process to make a thick sauce. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or vinegar as necessary the mixture should be highly seasoned. Place half the chimicurri in a bowl or crock for serving pour the remainder over the meat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator, 30 minutes, turning several times.3. Preheat the grill to high.4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Drain the beef and place it on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium- rare. Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce.Serves 4Churrasco of Tenderloin TipsPuntas de ChurrascoButchers sometimes sell tenderloin "tips" or "tails"-the narrow ends that are too slender to cut into filet mignons. These tips make a wonderful churrasco (they're better marbled than the center cuts) and they're a lot less expensive to boot. You may need to butterfly them to obtain thin, broad strips.Substitute 1 3/4 pounds tenderloin tips for the tenderloin center cut above (you'll need a little more, because the tips are a fattier cut). Trim off any excess fat and proceed as directed.