Steak on a Budget– Zhoug Marinated Denver Steak

Denver steak is an affordable, tender cut of steak that is affordable and out of this world delicious when marinated in herby, spicy, Zhoug sauce. This recipe goes out to all the steak lovers on a budget.

What is Denver Steak?

Denver steak, also known as, under blade, comes from a cow’s shoulder. It is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a tender, boneless cut of steak. Beautiful, thin marbling lines the steak like a road map, making for a rich, meaty taste.

The flavor profile of a steak, or any beef for that matter, has a lot to do with what it ate while roaming the Earth.

Today’s recipe feature’s grass fed, pasture raised Denver steak from All Grass Farms in Dundee, Illinois. At All Grass Farms, the cows are moved to fresh pasture each day, foraging the fields of blue grass, rye grass, timothy grass, meadow fescue, red and white clover, and a number of healthy forbs, weeds (no chemical spraying!) and legumes. Grass fed beef does taste different than grain fed. I would describe it as more complex, rich but pure.

What is Zhoug?

Zhoug is the Middle Eastern equivalent of chimichurri. Word press is pushing that I spell it “Zhug,” but I feel like being rebellious and anyway, Google is telling me go with “Zhoug,” so let’s move on and remain focused. Hear me out– if you don’t like chimichurri there is still hope. I’m not that crazy for chimichurri but I love Zhoug sauce. It’s a magical, herby concoction of spice and tang. Although, not typically used as a marinade, it has all the basic requirements of a delicious, tenderizing steak marinade.

FAT– Olive oil.

ACID– Lemon juice.

FLAVOR– Parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, toasted coriander seed, salt and Black Hungarian Wax Peppers.

How to make Zhoug Sauce.

Zhoug sauce is as simple to prepare as blending everything together and calling it a day. Here are a few tips to ensure your Zhoug sauce is next level delicious.

Toast the coriander seeds. Coriander is the seed of cilantro. It is the reward of faithfully and patiently waiting for the cilantro to bolt and the seed to dry.

When coriander is toasted in a dry skillet, the heat makes the flavor bloom, amplifying it. It’s a refreshing pop of citrus that tastes better homegrown. Probably because the coriander on store shelves is a bit older and most likely dried mechanically rather than in the sun. It’s a debate if sun drying effects the overall flavor.

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat to toast the coriander seeds. Be careful not to burn! This is not the time to run to the bathroom or call your boyfriend. Burning coriander happens quickly, so watch it!

Parsley & Cilantro. These two are stars in Zhoug. I recommend Italian flat leaf parsley. Neither should be eaten from the garden once bolted. Cynaroprican is a real unforgiving son of a you-know-what. Cyna– we will call it for short– is the compound that plants release when they bolt to deter being eaten. Which is actually really cool if you think about it. The plant knows it’s going to either die or go dormant and it wants the best chance to spread its seed, so it becomes utterly detestable.

Black Hungarian Wax Peppers. This where things get interesting! New-to-me peppers that are small, stout and spicy! I would say a touch hotter than jalapenos– I taste tasted a little bite raw and I didn’t cry or feel the need to eat a stick of butter (my husband did that once, but that’s a story for another time).

I bought these peppers and the parsley at Hutah Homestead’s farmstand in Gleason, Wisconsin. I am especially grateful for local growers/farmers since my garden isn’t established yet. The dark skins of the peppers are beautiful and their spicy bite jives well with the fat and acid also in the Zhoug sauce. I only removed the tips and just a little bit of the seeds. If you can’t find Black Hungarian Wax peppers, Jalapenos or Serrano work well. Depending on how big the pepper is, you may need only one to replace the two Wax peppers called for in this recipe. Even with the peppers, I would still consider this recipe on the mild side.

Marinade Questions.

How much Zhoug sauce for marinade?

For two steaks, (10 oz together) three tablespoons of Zhoug was perfect. Make sure to evenly distribute. I put the steaks and marinade in a Ziplock bag and pushed out as much air as possible before sealing and stashing away in the fridge.

How long to marinate?

Three or four hours is the sweet spot. Careful not to overdo it! The acid could break down the meat, resulting in a bad texture.

Won’t the marinade burn?

As long as the excess marinade slid off when removing from the bag it should be fine. Do not wipe off the marinade.

When should I salt the steaks?

Salt the steaks liberally before placing in the marinade. This allows the salt to penetrate and helps ensure a juicy, flavorful steak.

Denver steak cooking tips.

I’m not typically a rare steak gal– until now. It was a chipper 29°F day so I opted to cook on the Denver steaks on a dry cast iron skillet. A few things to remember about rare steak:

Rare does not mean raw.

Rare steak is cooked to 125°F-130°F.

When left to rest, lightly covered, the temperature will typically rise five degrees.

Rare doesn’t have to mean a cold center. Some rare steaks are served that way but I hate it. To avoid that, I lightly tent the steak with foil when resting.

If you are concerned about food safety, rare steak is safe to eat at a temperature of 120°F.

Serving Denver steak.

Slice the steak against the grain. Serve with remaining Zhoug sauce. I enjoy a strip of it on the bottom of my plate and on top of the steak. Crisy, gold potatoes roasted with warm spices and red onions rounded out this seemingly impressive steak dinner for two. This will surely liven up a Tuesday evening!

Want more steak? Check out these recipes.

Eat steak on a budget- Sirloin Steak Kabobs

Za’atar Flank Steak