This month's recipe,Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter and Chimichurri Sauce, Rosemary Potatoes and Salad,was prepared at Bear Creek Lake State Park.
When people ask if I have a favorite Virginia State Park I always say it is too hard to choose, but I run off a list of parks and why I favor each one.
Bear Creek Lake State Park is at the top of my personal list. Maybe it is the former Park Manager, John Zawatsky, who makes everyone he meets happier just by knowing him.
Or the present Park Manager, Eric Hougland, who matches John in customer service, and makes sure to come by “just to say hello and check on me” whenever I visit the park.
Or Laura Moss, who you’ll see running the office making sure every detail is handled perfectly (which it always is), with a smile that makes you feel like the park is your home and you are welcomed with open arms.
Or Tom Kneipp, the handsome lad who leads the education programs with great knowledge and charm, and made me feel like I was the world’s best archer (even though I wasn’t).
Or it could be the memories from my Girlfriend’s Getaway where my friend’s and I star gazed every night, kayaked during the day, embraced our inner Hunger Games heroine tackling the 10-lane archery range, and cooked every meal together while laughing until our cheeks were sore.
Me and my girlfriends learning how to perfect archery at Bear Creek Lake State Park
Me and my girlfriends learning how to perfect archery at Bear Creek Lake State Park
Whatever it is, this visit was no different. I also discovered the local favorite, Marion’s Bi-Rite meat shop in Farmville, where they sell a hearty line-up of U.S. raised meats, including the sirloin I needed for this month’s dish. And I discovered cabin #12. A perfect two bedroom cabin set in a cozy corner with a private back yard and views of the lake. Heaven.
A view of a two-bedroom cabin at Bear Creek Lake State Park
A view of a two-bedroom cabin at Bear Creek Lake State Park
Thanks to my surroundings, it was easy to put tons of love in this month’s dish — Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter and Chimichurri Sauce, Rosemary Potatoes, and Salad, which by the way, was Park Manager approved. Score!
The ingredients are below, and the video will show you how to whip it up the next time you visit aVirginia State Park. Make sure to let me know how yours turned out, and if you haven’t already, I hope you fall in love with Bear Creek Lake State Park like I have many times.
Enjoy! Until next time…
This dish will take about 1 hour to complete but you can prepare the chimichurri sauce the day before and refrigerate it. Just make sure you serve it room temperature. There are outdoor grills at most Virginia State Park cabins so you can also grill the steak. And please don’t forget to wash your hands and utensils after touching raw meat. If you want a super sizzling steak bring a cast iron skillet from home (this is what I did).
Here’s what you need for the dish:
For the potatoes
6-8 red potatoes, cubed
1/8 cup evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced
For the chimichurri sauce
1 cup evoo
2/3 cup sherry wine vinegar
Lemon juice from one lemon
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped
3 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp shallots, minced
¼ crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
A mix of baby spinach and iceberg lettuce
½ of 1 red onions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, skinned and sliced
Campari tomatoes, cubed
Evoo
Roasted garlic rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
For the steak and garlic butter sauce
½ cup butter
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp garlic powder
4, ½ pound tip sirloin steaks
Salt and pepper
Check out the video here…