Nicaraguan Style Churrasco Food

NICARAGUAN-STYLE STEAK / CHURRASCO

Steps:

• Place the piece of tenderloin lengthwise on the cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, cut the meat into 4 flat, even horizontal strips. Place each strip between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the side of a cleaver or with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish.
• Prepare the chimichurri. Combine the parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and process to make a thick sauce. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or vinegar as necessary; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Place half the chimicurri in a bowl or crock for serving; pour the remainder over the meat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator, 30 minutes, turning several times.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Drain the beef and place it on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium- rare. Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce.

CHURRASCO

Steps:

• For the chimichurri sauce: In a blender, add the parsley, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and oil and blend until almost smooth.
• Cover the skirt steak with the chimichurri sauce and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• For the arroz con gris: Soak the black beans in water overnight. Strain the beans, reserving the liquid.
• In a saucepot, saute the onions, garlic, peppers, pancetta and cumin over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the pancetta has rendered all its fat. Add the rice and toast, making sure to coat all the rice with the fat. Add the reserved black bean water and black beans and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and cook, covered, until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked.
• To serve: Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the steak to desired doneness. When the steak is almost done, fry the quail eggs sunny-side up.
• Cut the steak into 4 servings and top with the Guacamole. Serve the arroz con gris topped with the fried eggs alongside.
• Mash the avocados, add the tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and oil and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

FLANK STEAK CHURRASCO WITH CHIMICHURRI ROJO

Steps:

• Slice the steak against the grain at 45 degree angle into 1/4"-thick strips.
• In a large bowl whisk together remaining ingredients.
• Preheat grill to medium.
• Toss meat slices into the chimichurri to coat.
• Thread 4-5 strips (6 oz) onto each of 4 metal skewers. Fold each strip accordion-style, then spear through the center with the skewer. Spread strips down length of the skewer.
• Grill skewers, covered, for 3 minutes. Turn, baste with remaining chimichurri, and grill, covered, for 3 more minutes.

NICARAGUAN-STYLE STEAK / CHURRASCO

Steps:

• 1. Place the piece of tenderloin lengthwise on the cutting board. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, cut the meat into 4 flat, even horizontal strips. Place each strip between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the side of a cleaver or with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Arrange the steaks in a nonreactive baking dish.2. Prepare the chimichurri. Combine the parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and process to make a thick sauce. Correct the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or vinegar as necessary the mixture should be highly seasoned. Place half the chimicurri in a bowl or crock for serving pour the remainder over the meat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator, 30 minutes, turning several times.3. Preheat the grill to high.4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Drain the beef and place it on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium- rare. Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce.Serves 4Churrasco of Tenderloin TipsPuntas de ChurrascoButchers sometimes sell tenderloin "tips" or "tails"-the narrow ends that are too slender to cut into filet mignons. These tips make a wonderful churrasco (they're better marbled than the center cuts) and they're a lot less expensive to boot. You may need to butterfly them to obtain thin, broad strips.Substitute 1 3/4 pounds tenderloin tips for the tenderloin center cut above (you'll need a little more, because the tips are a fattier cut). Trim off any excess fat and proceed as directed.