• 2 Grow & Behold Chuck Steaks, thawed and at room temperature
  • Salt & pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup finely chopped cilantro, leaves & tender stems
  • 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, leaves & tender stems
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

 

Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 300F. Chuck Steaks are nice and thick, so searing them in a pan or on a grill isn’t enough to fully cook them all the way through. Since they have more collagen, they benefit from a longer cooking time, at a lower temperature, to become tender.

 

Prepare the steaks

Pat steaks dry. Season steaks generously with salt & pepper; let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan.

 

Sear

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil or duck schmaltz in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Reduce heat to medium and add steaks to skillet. They should fit comfortably, with one inch of room around each one. If they don’t, cook them one at a time, since crowding the pan will steam your meat, rather than sear it. Cook until seared and golden brown on all sides, 2–3 minutes per side. You are also going to want to sear the “edges” of this steak since it is so tall.

 

IMPORTANT: If you try to move the steak and it feels “stuck” to the pan, stop right now. Don’t forcibly remove it — you’ll leave all the delicious sear on the pan, rather than on your steak.  Wait a minute, then try again gently. When it’s ready, the steak will release easily from the pan.

 

To finish

Move cast iron skillet to the oven (or transfer steak to an oven-proof roasting pan).  Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into steak registers 125° for medium-rare, about 10-20 minutes, or until desired doneness. For steaks that benefit from the longer heat to become tender, give them a poke as you put them in the oven with your finger to feel how firm they feel, then check every 10 minutes or so until you feel the muscle relax and you get a little more “give” to the meat.

 

NOTE: You can also grill these steaks over medium high heat to sear, then transfer to a cool side of the grill to finish cooking.

 

Let rest before serving

Remove meat from the oven or pan and transfer to a cutting board, preferably one that can trap juices. Cover loosely with a pot lid or aluminum foil for 10 minutes, to allow the steak to rest and the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat (if you cut into it right away, all the juice will run out, and your steak will be dry).

 

Prepare the chimichurri

Combine herbs, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, chili flakes (if using) and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  

 

To serve

You can serve each steak as 1 portion, or slice them all and bring a platter of slices to the table.  If slicing, cut across the grain. Drizzle with chimichurri and serve with additional chimichurri, olive oil, salt and pepper at the table.