Surf and Turf Kebabs with Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri sauce is a South American condiment that is traditionally served with red meat or grilled fish or chicken.  It is a simple dish with no added sugar, just finely diced fresh herbs, vinegar, and oil.

Add the ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and then add salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir to combine and then add the olive oil and red wine vinegar.  Stir to combine well.  Since this is an oil-based condiment it needs to be stirred regularly.

This mixture should marinate for a few hours before you use it.  In a traditional South American household, the chimichurri sauce sits out at room temperature, so no need to refrigerate.

How to Make Surf and Turf Kebabs with Chimichurri Sauce

Start by soaking your wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes.  The water will soak into the wood and create a barrier that will help prevent them from burning.

Cut your steak into 1-inch cubes.  Try hard to keep the cubes uniform in size, this will ensure they cook evenly.  Before cooking my shrimp will actually appear LARGER than the steak, but no worries, they will all become uniform in size when they are done. Alternate the steak and shrimp onto the skewers, leaving about 1 inch of empty space on each end.  Brush both sides of the skewers lightly with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper.  Add the skewers to a hot grill (make sure to oil the grates).  Flip every 4-5 minutes until the shrimp turns white and the steak is cooked to your liking (about 8-10 minutes).

How to Oil Grill Grates

Just be safe about it.  Don’t spray cooking spray on the grates or pour oil on the grates.  This will cause the flame to ignite and could blow back at you.  The safest method of oiling a grill grate is to dip a cloth or handful of bunched-up paper towels into cooking oil (like canola).  Do not saturate the clothes, they should not be dripping.  You want enough oil on it to coat the grill grate, but you don’t want it dripping everywhere. With a protected hand (use an oven mitt or glove), lightly brush the hot grill grates with the cloth.