Brown Sugar Mesquite Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Prep Time: 25 mins | Cook Time: 8 mins | Course: Dinner | Serves: 6 

Parsley, cilantro, garlic, and a few simple seasonings blend into a basic vinaigrette to create a lovely chimichurri sauce that is terrific with grilled flank steak. Brown sugar, mesquite, and paprika is the perfect blend to flavor your tri-tip before it hits the BBQ. I tend to stock up on meats from Costco and like to marinate or use a rub on them before I freeze them; then they are full-flavored and ready to thaw and grill.

1 ½ lb flank steak

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup mesquite seasoning (or Montreal seasoning), I found at Costco

½ cup paprika

1 Tbsp oregano

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp garlic granules

1 Tbsp black pepper, freshly ground

1 Tbsp salt

Chimichurri Sauce:

1 cup parsley

1 cup cilantro

7 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced (or 1 tsp dried oregano)

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

⅔ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Mix brown sugar and seasoning ingredients together and generously season the flank steak. Save leftover seasoning in a small lidded jar for another time. Store flank steak in a gallon bag in the fridge until ready to grill (let rest at room temperature for ½ an hour before grilling). 

Prepare the chimichurri sauce by cutting the parsley, cilantro, and garlic with a chef’s knife (or you could use a food processor, be careful not to over-process). Add oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir into the herbs and store in a mason jar. Grill flank to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, (turn 1/4 turn to get great grill marks) and let rest for at least 5 minutes, slice thin across the grain. Shake chimichurri sauce to emulsify before serving with perfectly grilled flank steak.