Vacío a la Parrilla
Argentinian grilled skirt steak with a charred crust and smoky interior, seasoned simply with salt and served with chimichurri. Authentic asado done right.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 580
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb vacío (skirt steak)
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh oregano
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1
Remove the vacío from the refrigerator and place it on the cutting board; let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so it cooks evenly inside.
- 2
Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels on both sides and edges, rubbing firmly to remove all surface moisture so it will sear properly.
- 3
Mince the 3 garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 4
Roughly chop the parsley and oregano into small, thumb-sized pieces; do not mince finely or the herbs will turn dark.
- 5
Pour the 0.75 cup olive oil into a small bowl, then add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, chopped oregano, 0.5 cup red wine vinegar, 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.
- 6
Stir the chimichurri mixture with a spoon until all ingredients are combined and green throughout, about 30 seconds; set aside.
- 7
Light or preheat your grill to high heat, waiting until the grates are very hot and you can hold your hand over them for only 2 seconds.
- 8
Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt evenly over both sides of the steak, rubbing it gently into the meat so the salt sticks.
- 9
Place the steak on the grill grates in the direction of the lines (not perpendicular), laying it away from you to avoid splatters.
- 10
Let the steak cook without moving it for 4 minutes, until the underside is deep golden brown with dark charred lines from the grates.
- 11
Flip the steak over using tongs, then cook the other side for 4 minutes without moving, until it matches the first side in color.
- 12
Insert an instant-read meat thermometer horizontally into the thickest part of the steak; pull it off the grill when it reads 130–135°F for medium-rare.
- 13
Transfer the cooked steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes without touching it so the juices stop running out when you cut.
- 14
Hold the steak with your non-knife hand and slice it against the grain (perpendicular to the long muscle lines) into 0.5-inch-thick strips.
- 15
Arrange the sliced steak on a plate, fanning the pieces slightly so they overlap in a single layer.
- 16
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of chimichurri sauce over the steak in a thin stream across the top, then pass the remaining sauce in a small bowl on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- charcoal or gas grill with grates
- cutting board
- paper towels
- small bowl
- tongs
- instant-read meat thermometer
- sharp slicing knife
- serving plate
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
