Grilled Steak With Sauce Rof

By Yewande Komolafe

Updated May 6, 2026

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes  
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(544)
Comments
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A combination of onion, parsley, scallions and chile, this classic Senegalese sauce adds complexity to dishes. Typically used to stuff fish as a marinade and top it as a bold relish, it is also great for tempering the smoky char of grilled chicken or steak. In this recipe, some sauce rof is used as a marinade and served as a topping. Thinned with a dash of olive oil, the relish also gets lemon juice to add a lovely sparkle. Go for a nice marbled cut of meat — the fat intensifies the flavor of the grilled meat and the sauce rof cuts through the richness. This condiment can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight jar.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1½ pounds skirt steak or boneless short ribs

  • Coarse kosher salt (such as Morton) and black pepper

  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

  • 1 serrano chile or jalapeno, stemmed

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

  • 1 small bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems only (about 2 ounces)

  • 1 lemon

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

8 grams carbs; 111 milligrams cholesterol; 484 calories; 20 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 36 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 623 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat the steak dry and season lightly with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Roughly chop the onion in a food processor by pulsing repeatedly. Add the serrano and garlic and pulse to combine. Add the scallions and parsley and pulse until chopped into a coarse paste. Transfer the paste to a large bowl and zest the lemon directly into it. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. (Alternatively, finely chop the onion, serrano, garlic, scallions and parsley into a coarse paste by hand. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemon zest, oil, salt and pepper.)

  3. Step 3

    Transfer about ¾ cup of the paste to a small bowl. Place the meat in the large bowl and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate, covered if needed, for up to 12 hours.

  4. Step 4

    Combine the reserved marinade with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and squeeze in about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper, stir to combine and set aside.

  5. Step 5

    Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high.

  6. Step 6

    Scrape any excess marinade off the steak and discard. Grill the steak until the contact side is seared, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes for medium-rare. Cook for an additional minute on each side for medium.

  7. Step 7

    Transfer the steak to a board to rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the marinade dressing over the steak and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
544 user ratings
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Comments

Sarah Diouf

Yeah - olive oil is not used in making rof (which is not a sauce, ever, but a paste used inside meats only). Peanut, safflower, canola, sunflower, maybe grapeseed (tho that's not available in Senegal). The perfume of olive oil will definitely change the taste. I'd go w sunflower or a canola blend. And re: the peppers. A Serrano never entered a Senegalese kitchen (to cook a Senegalese dish). Kaani, whose US cousin is the scotch bonnet, is the proper pepper. If you can't find that, use habañeros.

Vic

Fantastic and simple. I used hanger steak. I don’t have a grill, so I used my cast iron pans to sear then finished for about 3 minutes in 350 oven. (And I used half a jalapeño instead of the Serrano bc I’m a hot spice wimp)

Eli

Pretty good. The condiment/marinade turned out a little bitter for me, I think due to the use of olive oil instead of a neutral oil. If I made it again, I'd also add an additional pepper or two for some extra kick.

Sara

I thought this sauce was more reminiscent of a salsa, and I gather from Sarah’s comments that it is not Rof , but it went really well with the grilled skirt steak. I used a big jalapeño and Meyer lemon because I had them, but otherwise made as directed. The flavor of the sauce hit initially but the steak flavor came through after a second, and it paired nicely. I did make the sauce early and I put it in the fridge- if I had to do something different I’d make sure it warmed up to room temperature before serving.

Chrissie K

I didn't love this... the sauce was too bitter (I might have used too large of an onion!) & no one like it on the steak. However, I did use the leftover sauce in a loaf of sourdough with cheddar and it was delicious :).

Jill

Made this today and found it very onion-y, and a bit bitter, though the bitterness was mitigated with some additional salt. I will stick with a more classic chimichurri type sauce with my steaks. This was okay, just not great.

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