Caveman Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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Caveman Steak is a super easy yet slightly intimidating method of cooking steak on the campfire. Steak done directly on the embers is cooked super-fast on the outside creating that delicious char and caramelisation that everyone wants, without the risk of over cooking.

Let your fire build up with medium sized logs and then let it burn right down again. You’ll probably need your fire to burn for at least 40 minutes or so to establish that really hot, clean bed of embers. You can do this on the BBQ but you would have to use lumpwood charcoal. Because of the way briquettes burn, they break down and the ash and dust will coat your steak. Lumpwood charcoal retains its integrity a bit better and there are less chemicals involved in making it.

Feather sticks are a great way to start a fire

Building it up

You want quite a big campfire to get the embers you need

For this Caveman Steak, I used a good thick piece of fillet steak. Although a dear cut, I chose it because it would suit the very quick nature of this sort of cooking. Fillet steak when cooked rare – medium rare is very tender and soft, one of the main reasons it is so prized! It is important to make sure the steak is roughly the same thickness. This can affect cooking times, so if it’s not, give the thicker pieces a gentle bash with your mortar (remember to clean it before making the chimichurri).

Get your steak up to room temperature. This can be difficult when you’re cooking outside in December but try your best. Season the steak with salt and pepper just before you put it on the fire. If you leave it for too long with salt on, it will start to draw out the moisture.

If you want, you can give your embers a good blow before laying your caveman steak on. Do this to clear some of the ash but it doesn’t really matter. Lay your steak on and depending on the thickness and heat of the fire, you’re probably looking anywhere from 1 – 5 minutes per side. Flip the steak quickly with tongs and cook on the opposite side. If any embers are stuck to cooked side, don’t panic. Just remove them with the tongs. The ashy bits will melt away when the steak is resting. Please, please don’t try to scrape ash off, you risk scraping away some of the flavour of the charred edges we’re working so hard for.

When your caveman  steak is cooked, take it off the heat and wrap in foil to allow to rest. Leave the steak for around 10 minutes. I recently read that flipping the steak regularly while it’s resting, helps to keep to juicy. The thinking is that when juices rise and start to pool on the surface, you flip it. That way they are forced to rise from the bottom to the top again. As the juices cool in the meat, they were in motion through the meat, keeping it juicy. I’m not sure if I believe it yet. I’m still giving it a go!

It’s important to let your steak rest. It also gives you the perfect amount of time to prepare this delicious and punchy Argentinean chimichurri sauce. This garlicky sauce shouldn’t be too hot but there is a spice and herb kick to it. Usually made with a blender, today we’re using a pestle and mortar to try to produce a smooth sauce. This tasty South American sauce will also work amazingly well with chicken thighs maybe or even a piece of salmon or king prawns.

Once rested, slice the caveman steak thinly against the grain to maximise tenderness. Drizzle the chimichurri all over and dig in! You’ve waited long enough!

We’ve taken the leap and started a YouTube Channel. Follow the link for the Video Recipe of this Caveman Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. Subscribe to the channel for more mouth-watering content in the future!