Chimichurri is such a legendary thing that it almost seems mysterious to many. It has the perception of being something difficult to make and only enjoyed on special occasions at a steak house or high end restaurant. While that may be true for many Chefs everywhere can tell you with a few simple steps you can enjoy it at home too!
What is Chimichurri?
When you learn how to make chimichurri you will wonder why it seems so rare when in fact it’s so easy. Simply because it is mostly made up of just a few ingredients, the main one which is the humble herb parsley. Chimichurri has become famous in the United States in recent years by the predominance of Argentinian style steakhouses. While it is true that it is most often associated with grilled red meats, it is by no means limited to just steak. In fact, it does wonders as a condiment for seafoods such as grilled fish, seared scallops, shrimp, and calamari for a few. It is delicious on grilled or roasted chicken and pork. It also does wonders to vegetables such as roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, squash, even french fries! Chimichurri can even be used as a sort of salad dressing with added vinegar. It also makes a FANTASTIC marinade for meats, seafood and vegetables so don’t just think if it as a dipping sauce type of condiment.
Aside from parsley, what else do I need?
There are numerous styles of chimichurri that have evolved from the classic, with everything such as exotic citrus juices such as Yuzu, to truffle and black garlic. But if you keep one thing in mind it is that the main ingredients (other than parsley) are a really nice olive oil, citrus or vinegar, and garlic/ shallot. Some may contain some spice such as crushed red pepper also. The kicker is to make sure that there is some acidity to boost the fats and flat parsley-olive oil concoction. Because the acidity quickly kills and pickles the other ingredients, chefs will often make a “base” of the parsley, shallot, garlic, citrus, etc, then add the citrus juices, zest, and vinegars at the end so it doesn’t turn quickly. Even without these additions the sauce usually won’t last more than a couple of days, so enjoy it while you can. Also don’t be afraid to put a lot on meats or vegetables as they cook as if basting a turkey multiple times!
Try these additions to make a zesty version:
- Whole grain mustard is a great addition. Many recipes include this and it’s no wonder why. We left it out here to keep it simple but add a spoonful for great results.
- Roasted garlic or even fermented black garlic.
- Tuffle shavings, truffle salt, or truffle oil.
- Other citrus such as grapefruit or blood orange. Juices such as orange juice are great also.
- Finely diced red bell pepper, or spicy chiles such as serrano, habanero, or jalapeno.
- Other herbs or greens- carrot greens, basil and opal basil, fresh marjoram, sage, and rosemary. Pungent greens work well if you want to go a singular direction with a dominant flavor.
- Excess black pepper if serving with steak or a mix of multicolored peppercorns freshly ground.
- Fish sauce added towards the end gives glutamate umami flavor that may sound crazy but takes steak to a new level.
- Browned butter still warm just before serving.
How to Make Chimichurri
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 each Italian parsley flatleaf parsley works best for this recipe. Curly parsley can still work but may be bitter and go bad more quickly
- 1 each Shallot finely chopped
- 2 each Garlic finely chopped
- 1 each Lemon zest and juice
- 1 each Lime zest and juice
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper freshly ground
- 8 ounces Olive oil use highest quality available
- 3 ounces White wine vinegar red wine vinegar also works great, especially on grilled meats and vegetables
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients. Remove as much of the stems from the parsley as possible. Also use a sharp knife to prevent bruising the leaves when chopping.
- Zest the lemon and lime then squeeze the juices. Mix all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and season to taste with salt. If you don't plan to use it all at once, you can leave the vinegar out and add a little at a time as needed to add some shelf life to the sauce. Bon appetit!
