New York Strip Steak With Kalamata-Olive Chimichurri

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fruity olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon dry crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf, broken in half (preferably fresh)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoon water

• 2 (14-16 ounce)  New York strip steaks, about 2 inches thick
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Heat 2 Tb oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add sliced garlic, red pepper, and bay leaf. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add shallots and saute until just translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. 4

   Stir in parsley, olives, and vinegar. Add 1 Tb water. Add more water by teaspoonfuls to thin as need. Season Chimichurri with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Note: This can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

6. 6

   Rub steaks with 1 Tb oil and pressed garlic. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp coarse salt, cayenne, and generous amount of black pepper. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

7. 7

   Preheat oven to 400°F.

8. 8

   Brush heavy, very large oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron) with oil. Heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add steaks.

9. 9

   Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn steaks and transfer skillet to oven.

10. 10

    Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into steaks registers 110 to 115 degrees F for rare, about 10 minutes.

11. 11

    Let steaks rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice cross-wise. Spoon chimichurri over.