This is the “restaurant steak dinner” version of home cooking: a short, intentional marinade for bavette, a classic chimichurri with zero cilantro, potatoes engineered for crisp edges, and asparagus roasted hard enough to get real char. Everything is built to be served together, on time, while the steak is still smug.
Snapshot
- Implements: cutting board; chef’s knife; mixing bowl; measuring spoons; large pot; colander; rimmed sheet pan (2 if you want easy timing); grill or cast iron skillet; tongs; instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful)
- Oven setting: 425°F (218°C) for potatoes; 450°F (232°C) for asparagus
- Heat setting: high heat for steak (grill or cast iron)
- Batch size: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients
Steak and marinade
- 1½ to 2 lb bavette steak, fully thawed
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4½ Tbsp olive oil
- 1½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ to ¾ Tsp garlic powder
Chimichurri (cilantro-free)
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or pasted
- 1½ to 2 Tsp dried oregano
- ½ Tsp red pepper flakes (or less to taste)
- 3 to 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 9 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Optional: 2 to 3 Tbsp very finely minced shallot
- Optional: small squeeze of lemon juice
Crispy tiny Yukon Golds
- 1 to 1½ lb tiny Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil or duck fat
- Kosher salt
Hard-roasted asparagus
- 1 bunch thick asparagus
- 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt
- ½ lemon
- Black pepper
Method
Make the chimichurri (first, so it can rest)
In a bowl, combine parsley, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Add shallot if using.
Let it sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature. (You can make it earlier in the day and refrigerate it. Bring it back to room temp before serving.)
Thaw the steak (plan ahead)
Thaw the bavette fully in the refrigerator overnight. If you need it faster, seal it in a zip-top bag and thaw in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes, until pliable and mostly thawed.
Pat dry before marinating.
Marinate the steak (short and intentional)
Season the steak lightly with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish or zip-top bag, combine soy sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Worcestershire, and garlic powder. Add the steak and coat.
Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, no longer than 4 hours.
About 20 to 30 minutes before cooking, pull the steak from the fridge. Scrape off excess marinade so it sears instead of steaming.
Parboil the potatoes
Heat oven to 425°F (218°C).
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add tiny Yukon Golds and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. A knife should slide in with slight resistance.
Drain and let them steam dry in the colander for 2 to 3 minutes.
Roast the potatoes until properly crisp
Toss potatoes with olive oil or duck fat and a good pinch of salt. Spread on a rimmed sheet pan with space between pieces.
Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, flipping once, until deeply golden and crisp.
Hard-roast the asparagus (near the end)
Increase oven to 450°F (232°C) when the potatoes are close to done, or roast asparagus on a separate rack if your oven runs hot.
Trim woody ends. Dry thoroughly. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread in a single layer.
Roast 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once, until blistered, browned in spots, and crisp at the tips.
Finish with lemon and black pepper after roasting.
Cook the steak hot and fast
Preheat grill to high, or heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot.
Cook the bavette about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness, aiming for medium rare. If using a thermometer, target 125°F to 130°F (52°C to 54°C) before resting.
Rest the steak 5 to 10 minutes.
Slice and serve
Bavette has a visible grain. Slice thinly and aggressively against the grain.
Spoon chimichurri over the sliced steak. Serve with crispy potatoes and roasted asparagus. Put extra chimichurri on the table for dipping and dragging.
Notes, swaps, and guardrails
Why the steak marinates for 1 to 2 hours
Marinades mostly affect the outer few millimeters of meat. In the first hour, salt starts diffusing inward and seasons the steak, while vinegar lightly denatures surface proteins and helps tenderness. Keep going too long and the acid keeps working until the exterior gets soft, mealy, or oddly cured. Bavette is thin enough that you hit diminishing returns quickly.
- Sweet spot: 1 to 2 hours
- Absolute max: 4 hours
- Not recommended: overnight
Why parboiling makes crispier potatoes
Parboiling gelatinizes the outer starch layer. After draining, that starchy surface dries and turns tacky, which is exactly what you want. In the oven it dehydrates, browns, and becomes a crisp shell while the inside stays creamy. Tiny Yukon Golds are ideal because they have enough starch to crisp and enough waxiness to stay buttery.
Why asparagus wants high heat
Asparagus carries a lot of water. High heat drives off moisture fast so browning can happen before it goes limp. Lower heat tends to steam it into sadness. Finish with lemon after roasting so the acidity stays bright instead of turning the pan into a steamer.
Texture and flavor checks
Chimichurri: sharp, herbal, loose, and properly salted
Potatoes: crisp exterior, creamy center, not heavily seasoned (they are chimichurri sponges)
Steak: deeply browned, rested, sliced thin against the grain
Asparagus: blistered and browned, with crisp tips
Do not blend the chimichurri (it gets pasty and dull).
Do not marinate overnight (texture will suffer).
Do not skip the rest and the against-the-grain slicing (this is where bavette becomes tender).
Credit where it’s due
Steak marinade structure inspired by common bavette “soy + vinegar + Worcestershire” grilling approaches. Chimichurri structure is classic Argentine-style, made cilantro-free on purpose.