In 2006 we visited Argentina. And I must say, the food in Buenos Aires was phenomenal! And the beef! OMG. Argentinian beef has deservedly earned a reputation for being some of the world’s best. It is incomparably tender and richly flavored, even though it’s rarely seasoned with anything but salt.

That’s all well and good if you happen to be grilling on your lanai in La Boca (a very picturesque Buenos Aires neighborhood) or Palermo (home to the arts, the city’s largest park, and magnificent mansions). But if you live on Camano Island and often buy your meat from the local IGA, your best bet is to add flavor by marinating the heck out of the meat before throwing it on the grill! Thus this recipe.

Now I don’t mean to say that you haven’t a snowballs chance in hell of coming close to what you would experience if you were sitting on the sidewalk of a Buenos Aires restaurant at 11:30 at night waiting for the tango orchestra to begin playing at say…12:30 am. (Not making this up folks, this is the reality of eating and listening in Buenos Aires.) Because this marinated flank steak is really, really tasty. And when topped with chimichurri sauce, well you are going to experience a lot of the taste you would be enjoying if you were dining in Argentina. As far as the tango orchestra part goes, well God gave us CDs for a reason! Love and happy grilling to all.

Marinade:

• ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more added just before grilling
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1½ lb. flank steak, trimmed of all fat

Combine the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, granulated garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a container or large zip lock bag. Add the flank steak and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. (The longer the better.)

Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before grilling the steak. Set the grill to high heat. Carefully grease the grill with some oil. Once the grill is hot, add the steak. (Don’t forget that last bit of salt added just before placing the steak on the grill.) Cover and cook the steak until well browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook until desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a thermometer to make certain the temperature doesn’t surpass 125 degrees for a perfect medium rare steak. (If you cook flank steak until no pink is showing, it will be tough.) Remove the steak from the grill. Tent with aluminum foil for about 10 minutes before slicing very thinly against the grain and on a diagonal. Serve with the chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce:

• ¾ c. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ¼ c. red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp. dried oregano
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ c. extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients well in a bowl or jar. Store in your refrigerator, but best served the same day as prepared. Bring to room temperature before serving.