My family threw a memorable reunion along the shores of a lake in northern Michigan several years ago. Nearly 20 of us bunked together in three cabins on the lake, Torch Lake. We ate well. We had plenty of good cooks between my family and stepsiblings. And we divvied up the meal preparation.

My wife Sharon and I, and our son Bobby, prepared a big Mexican feast that we set on a table in front of our cabin. If memory serves me correctly, we had platters of chicken, plenty of tortillas, guacamole, a big pitcher of margaritas – and a lot more. As other family members walked up to the table, you could practically see their collective jaws drop because of the bounty of the spread.

I mention this story because I now have a grilled skirt steak recipe I would have loved to have included that evening. That said, it would be great served as a Fourth of July dish next month. The steak is topped with a chimichurri sauce, a traditional accompaniment to South American grilled meats.

No two chimichurri recipes are the same. This one features fresh cilantro, oregano, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes for heat. The chimichurri recipe comes to us courtesy of our friends at the Viking Cooking School.

Speaking of grilling recipes, check out best-selling author Steven Raichlen’s rotisseried baby back ribs on our chefs blog. We’ll be featuring Raichlen here next week, as we focus on grilling in the run-up to July Fourth.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

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