Manhattan Roast with Asian Chimichurri (2024)

a great Valentine’s Day meal made easy on the Traeger with a Meater thermometer

For Valentine’s Day, we usually try to cook up something interesting and fun, as Valentine’s Day at home can be as delicious and special as a meal at a restaurant. Honestly, once you get a hang of grilling on the Traeger, you can make an even better meal at home instead of going out. For this year’s Valentine’s Day, we cooked up a Manhattan Roast with Asian Chimichurri, all whipped up at home for the holiday.

A MANHATTAN ROAST WITH ASIAN CHIMICHURRI IS A GREAT CALL

For our Manhattan Roast with Asian Chimichurri, we cooked up a Manhattan Roast– and served it with a flavorful herb-based sauce. Any other large cut will work like a thick-cut bone-in ribeye, tri-tip or even a prime rib. We love chimichurri with steak as the strong flavors of the sauce go really well with the rich deliciousness of the steak. And an herb-based (not mayo-based) sauce cuts some of the richness of the beef.

A Twist on Traditional Chimi

For this twist on a traditional chimichurri, we added some strong traditional Asian flavors to mix it up. In addition to the more standard chimi ingredients (parsley, pepper and garlic) we added some other herbs and spices to amp up the flavor. You can use what you have on hand– or flavors you particularly like– to make this sauce your own.

To ours, we added cilantro, basil, jalapeno, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and some scallions. You could also make it spicier by using thai chili pepper, more pungent with the addition of chopped shallot or more herby with mint leaves in addition to parsley and basil.

A Great Valentine’s Day Feast

To cook this roast perfectly, I used my new Meater thermometer which makes cooking so easy. Especially on a night like Valentine’s Day, when I want to spend time with my wife and kids, the Meater makes cooking on the grill something I can do from afar. We stay inside playing and hanging out and the Meater keeps a close eye on the temperature of the meat, sending me all the information I need to my phone.

With the combination of great things– a beautiful piece of meat, a Traeger grill and a Meater thermometer, we really have no excuse to go out for dinner– cooking at home is fun and easy and predictable! And it takes the hands-off nature of cooking on the Traeger to the next level– you don’t even need to open the grill to check the temperature of the meat!

PRIMARY INGREDIENTS FOR THIS COOK

• Manhattan Roast or other large cut of beef
• Seasoning of your choice– I used my Garlic Junkie
• Oil as a binder on the meat
• For the sauce
  • Cilantro
  • Parsley
  • Basil
  • Scallions
  • Garlic
  • Jalapeno
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Soy sauce
  • Fish sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

WHY COOKING THIS MANHATTAN ROAST WITH ASIAN CHIMICHRRI ON THE TRAEGER WORKS

Cooking a large piece of beef like a Manhattan Roast on the Traeger is ideal because it is guaranteed to come out perfectly every time. The consistent heat that a Traeger produces will ensure that the meat is the right temperature edge-to-edge when you use the Reverse Sear method.

When the meat has nearly reached the ideal internal temperature, I crank up the heat on my Traeger Ranger grill with the cast iron plate inserted and use that to sear the meat to get the final internal temperature achieved. It is pretty cool to see how my Traegers can do both the low-and-slow BBQ cooking and hot and fast searing like is needed to finish a cook like this.

Combined, it makes for very seldom cooking in our kitchen because doing it on the Traeger is easier, less messy and more fun!

STEP-BY-STEP FOR THIS COOK

• Preheat your Traeger grill to 225* and use the supersmoke feature if you have it.
• While the grill heats, prepare the Manhattan roast. You shouldn’t need to trim it or anything, but if it is uneven, you can square it up.
• Rub the entire roast with a thin coating of oil.
• Then season generously with my Garlic Junkie seasoning.
• When the grill is hot, insert the Meater thermometer into the roast until the tip reaches about the midpoint of the roast and the probe is inserted up to the line.

• Place the roast in the preheated grill and allow to cook at this low temperature until the internal temperature reaches about 120* for medium rare. For a 2-pound roast, this should take about 60-75 minutes.
• For this recipe, use the Meater thermometer and it will guide you to cook the roast perfectly. One of the features I love is it gives me an estimated countdown until the meat is done, so we can get everything else cooked on time.
• While the steak is cooking, make the Asian chimichurri sauce.
• Finely mince the herbs.
• Press or mince the garlic.
• Chop the jalapeno finely and taste to determine how much to use.
• In a bowl, combine the herbs, garlic and jalapeno.
• To that mixture, add the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce and oils.
• Stir to combine and season to taste.
• Before the steak hits 120* internal, preheat your grill to high heat and include a cast iron pan or griddle. Allow it to get very hot.
• When the roast has reached 120* internal temperature, transfer it to the preheated grill and sear on all sides. Pull the roast when the internal temperature is 125*. If you are using the Meater app it will tell you when to remove it from the heat.
• Allow to rest, tented on a tray or cutting board, for about 15 minutes. The app will also alert you when it is rested.
• Then slice to serve alongside the Asian chimichurri.

SIMILAR RECIPES TO A MANHATTAN ROAST WITH ASIAN CHIMICHURRI

I think that an easy and effective way to elevate a perfectly grilled steak is with a terrific sauce. The right sauce can take it from a regular night to something special (ala Valentine’s Day) and I have shared a bunch of sauce recipes on my blog.

A couple favorites include:

• Zabuton steak with Yakiniku sauce (an Asian dipping sauce)
• Reverse Seared Steak with Chimichurri (the traditional kind)
• Another take on Chimichurri
• I also have a bunch of sauce and salsa recipes in my cookbook, which you can pick up here!

Products used in this cook:

• Meater Thermometer
  • Longer Range: Bluetooth to WiFi range extension built-in up to 165ft. Stand-Alone Mode: Cook without the use of your smart phone.
  • Multiple Probes: Dual temperature sensors in each probe can monitor internal meat temperature up to 212°F and ambient / external temperature up to 527°F simultaneously.
  • Guided Cook System: Walks you through every step of the cooking process to guarantee perfect and consistent results. You can also set up custom alerts / notifications based on temperature and/or time.
  • Advanced Estimator Algorithm: Estimates how long to cook and rest your food to help plan your meal and manage your time.
• Traeger Grill

GET YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY MENU PLANNED!

Valentine’s Day comes just once a year, so this is your chance to go all-out on an amazing cook for your loved one and your family. There are lots of great recipes on my website and in my cookbook that you could use for inspiration. From perfectly cooked steaks and roasts to seafood and lobster, plan a yummy dish that you’ll love to share with those you love.

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