Chimichurri…easy sauce w/a huge “Wow” factor!
...best when made a day ahead and paired w/spicy magaritas :-)
Chimichurri is a versatile, vibrant, green uncooked sauce originating in Argentina and Uruguay, widely used as a condiment or marinade. We particularly love using it with grilled meats, but it is also perfect for seafood, shrimp, firm tofu…just about anything really 🙂
Sauce
Our core recipe is from The Hip Latina. We have used it for over seven years, and it has been excellent each and every time!
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed fresh Italian parsley.
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano (or 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves)
- 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed.
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil.
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- freshly ground black pepper.
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
We have experimented with various adjustments and have found the following to be worth considering :
- Use 1/2 parsley and 1/2 cilantro
- Add 1 jalapeños
- Fresh ginger and scallions add an Asian fusion flair
- Add whole dried red chili peppers for an even more dramatic presentation
The sauce can be used the same day it is made, but our experience has shown that it is MUCH more flavorful the next day. Freshly made chimichurri typically lasts a week or so in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. Frozen chimichurri can last for several months when properly stored.
BTW, the word “chimichurri” is believed to have its roots in the Quechua language, according to a historian. As to who “invented” it, that fact has been lost to legend.
Food
Lots of grilled meats will pair well with the Chimichurri sauce, but our two favorites are steak and jumbo shrimp…prepared sous vide style, of course.
Sometimes, we marinate the shrimp in the Chimichurri sauce before sous vide-ing them, but most of the time we just use the shrimp as a means of scooping up the sauce…LOL.
Drink
Pretty much any beer (IPA, lager, etc) will go well with the flavorful sauce, but we favor pairing it up a spicy margarita. Our mixer of choice? Did you really even have to ask?
It is the Barsmith Hatch Chile Margarita Mixer, hands down!
The Barsmith Hatch Chile Margarita mixer has been how we have been making spicy margaritas for YEARS. Regardless of the brand of tequila, the Barsmith Hatch Chile mixer will make it the absolute best spicy margarita ever…and we should know, we have made A LOT of them over the years 🙂
Having hosted quite a few events with spicy margaritas as the cocktail of choice, we are pretty sure our guests agree.
FinalThoughts
Chimichurri is one of our “goto” sauces when we have a big crowd to cook for. It can be made ahead of time, has great flavor, and can be adjusted in a variety of ways to accommodate the type of food served and guests with differing spice tolerances.
RainyDayKitchen cooks would do well to add this amazing sauce to their repertoire 🙂 Bon Appetite!!!
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