Grass fed steak with Kalamata-olive Chimichurri

6 servings/

Chimichurri, the traditional accompaniment for steak in Argentina, is an olive oil-based sauce with vinegar, parsley, and other seasonings. In Argentina, cattle are grass fed, and the vinegary relish complements the herbal beef beautifully. The meat is very lean, so it’s best rare.

3 tablespoons fruity olive oil, divided

4 garlic gloves; 2 thinly sliced; 2 pressed

¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf, preferably fresh, broken in half

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped pitted Kalamata olives

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons water

2 14- to 16-ounce 2-inch-thick New York strip steaks

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic, red pepper, and bay leaf. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shallots and saute’ until just translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, olives, and vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon water. Add more water by teaspoonfuls to thin as needed. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Rub steaks with 1 tablespoon oil and pressed garlic. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon coarse salt, cayenne, and generous amount of black pepper. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400* F. Brush heavy very large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) with oil. Heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add steaks. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn steaks and transfer skilled to oven. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into steaks registers 110* F to 115* F for rare, about 10 minutes.

Let steaks rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice crosswise. Spoon chimichurri over.