Tri-tip steak cooks up nice & tender after a quick marinade in a tasty chimichurri (or Argentinian pesto) packed with fresh herbs.

The pesto is divided so that half is used as a marinade AND a sauce. 

PRO TIP: This marinade is quite acidic so it's recommended to not marinate any longer than thirty minutes but, if you can make the chimichurri in advance and store in the fridge, then marinate just before you're ready to cook.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • 2 pounds tri-tip sirloin steak
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • Flaky sea salt, for serving

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, garlic, shallot, red wine vinegar, salt, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pulse until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl and mix in the serrano chile. Then top with the olive oil.

Place the steak into a glass bowl or gallon bag. Add half of the chimichurri and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. While the steak marinate, preheat the grill. 

Brush the grill grates with canola oil. Remove the steaks from the marinade, letting any excess drip off and season both sides with a little extra salt. Discard the marinade and let the steaks cook for 8 minutes per side. Flip the steak and cook for a minute. Cook the steak on the other side for 8 minutes more or until you've reached a desired doneness. Remove to a cutting board and sprinkle liberally with flaky salt. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. 

Slice the steak, cutting against the grain, and serve with remaining chimichurri.