Churrasco

While its exact definition can vary from country to country, churrasco is a Portuguese-Brazilian term that broadly refers to grilled meat. If you haven’t experienced one of the Brazilian steakhouses, known as Churrascaria, popularized in the U.S. or traveled in Latin America—where most countries have their own variation on this cooking style—you can now experience the flavors at home with my homemade churrasco recipe. This smoky, grilled steak recipe, complete with homemade chimichurri, is the perfect summer dinner to impress, or to simply treat yourself.

How To Make Churrasco

INGREDIENTS

• Flank Steak: My recipe is prepared with flank steak (one of my favorite cuts for churrasco at home); moderately priced while being flavorful and tender, it's easy enough for an impromptu dinner, but special enough to truly embrace the Churrascaria experience.
• Seasoning: I’m keeping the seasoning as simple as possible here to really let the meat and the chimichurri shine. All you need is some salt and pepper to help let this meal be the best it can be.
• Chimichurri: Chimichurri is an herby, garlicky sauce that is an essential part of churrasco. Spoon it over your grilled flank steak, and let its herby, bright flavors soak into your meat.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Because you really want to cook churrasco on high heat, it is important that you prepare your grill for medium-high heat and then let it come up to temperature for about 5 minutes before you add the meat on. As you wait, pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture and then season both sides with salt and pepper.

Once the grill is hot, add the steak and cook for about 6 minutes on each side for a medium-rare cook. If your steak is thicker it may need a little more time, and the inverse is true if it is a very thin cut. You want the internal temperature to read around 130° to 135° for a medium-rare flank steak. Once it is finished cooking, remove the steak from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board. Let it rest undisturbed for 10 minutes. This helps the steak to retain as much moisture and flavor as possible, and cutting into it before resting will release all of that liquid.

After waiting 10 minutes, slice the steak thinly against the grain and transfer the pieces to a platter. Spoon the cut steak over with chimichurri and serve.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t be afraid to turn the heat up. To keep the flank steak tender, cook it fast over high heat—this isn’t your low-and-slow-cooking piece of beef.
• It’s crucial to slice the steak properly. Make sure to slice against the grain to keep each slice nice and tender, and ready to soak up all the flavors of our homemade, best-ever chimichurri sauce.

What To Serve With Churrasco

For a meat heavy dish like this, you really need a starch or vegetables to compliment it. I suggest serving this dish alongside roasted potatoes, grilled tomatoes, maduros, or rice.

Storage

The cooked steak will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

You can prepare the chimichurri in advance, or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To ensure max freshness, keep the herbs and other little bits submerged in the oil, adding an extra drizzle on top before storing, if needed.