Parsley Garlic Steak Bites
In college I spent a semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I picked my major (international business) mostly because of the study abroad requirement. If you ask a majority of the students why they picked that major, you will most likely get the response: “Well, I love to travel, so it seemed like a good idea!” I had a rather fantastical image of what life after college would be like; basically I thought I could get a job with the travel channel and just be on permanent vacation, jet-setting to the most amazing places. It hasn’t quite worked out that way, but I was able to go to The Netherlands for 3 days at my previous place of employment (now the question is – when can I go back?!).
For my requisite semester abroad, I knew I would go to a Spanish speaking country; and after careful consideration I chose Argentina. It was a whirlwind semester, filled with new friends, wine, weekend trips to neighboring cities, and my mom even came to visit!
The study abroad program I went with (IES Abroad) took us students on several day trips to different ranches, where we were fed copious amounts of meat. Argentina produces a lot of beef, and it is very good! In addition to the normal meats of steak and chicken, we were also served blood sausage, sweetbread (aka, cow glands), and cow intestine. Rest assured, I tried them all once!
Now, for my own home cooking, I don’t go out looking for intestine (and neither should you, really…). I prefer sticking to the steak part of the cow, and I have a tasty little steak bite for you to try. Cooking whole steaks can be intimidating to make the first few times, I’m still constantly worried they’ll be overdone or way undercooked. If you’re not ready just yet to make a whole steak, these steak bites are the right thing for you!
The steak is cut into bite sized pieces and marinated in a mixture of parsley, garlic and lemon for about 30-60 minutes. Then they are quickly cooked in a skillet until they are done to your liking (which for me is a good medium-rare to medium).
I cooked my steak bites in two batches so the pan wasn’t over crowded and the steak could get nicely browned. For medium steak bites, you’ll only want to cook them for 3-4 minutes, turning them as they cook (air flip not necessary, but fun).
You’ll want to set aside some of the marinade before mixing it with the steak to use as a dipping sauce. It is a nice bright flavor that livens up the steak, and is reminiscent of an Argentine chimichurri.
If you can’t make it to Argentina, try these steak bites with a nice glass of Malbec, and imagine yourself there instead!
- 2 cups fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil for sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 lb sirloin steak cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking steak
- Place the parsley, 1/4 cup olive oil, water, oregano, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tsp of salt in a food processor (or blender). Blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Set aside 1/2-1 cup of the mixture to use for dipping. Place remaining sauce in a gallon sized zip-top bag.
- Season steak with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Place steak pieces in the bag with the sauce. Seal the bag, making sure to get as much air out of the bag as you can. Turn the mixture around to thoroughly coat all the pieces of meat with the sauce.
- Place bag in the refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- After the meat has marinated, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Working in several batches (to avoid over crowding the pan), place the steak bites in the pan and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn the pieces with a spatula or tongs as the cook to ensure even browning on all sides.
- Remove steak as they finish cooking, and continue until all pieces are cooked (I made mine in two batches).
- Serve steak with the reserved sauce.
**Cardinal Rule** This recipe works with tougher cuts of meat (like chuck) because the lemon tenderizes the steak as it marinades. You can let it marinade longer to get more tender, flavorful steak bites.
Recipe source: Right at Home
Steak photos by Joseph Yetman Photography