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nevermind the snow, i’m ready to grill

Recipe: chimichurri

Chimichurri. It’s one of those fun words to say. Chimichurri. If after five weeks in Argentina, you don’t encounter chimichurri then I’d say you probably weren’t in Argentina. I have certain associations with Argentina – most of them food: dulce de leche, alfajores, membrillo, empanadas, asados, and chimichurri to name a few. I know, I know – not all of these items are particular to Argentina. But I will tell you that I believe the locals when they say their food is better. Twelve years later and I *still* get cravings.


flat-leaf parsley and i have embarked on a new and beautiful relationship

garlic and i are old lovers



How is it that I never made my own chimichurri until now? I think part of that is fear – fear of messing it up or not being able to achieve that remarkable flavor. As some of you have probably observed, I hunt around for recipes for a long time and then I sit on them for months or years. Food is like love, you can’t force it!

chop by hand

minced garlic, minced parsley, dried oregano, red pepper flakes



Not long after my field season in Argentina, I got an appropriately-timed issue of Saveur that had a feature on Argentina. That was in 1999. We’ve moved several times since then, each time that single issue survived The Great Cull. Last week, with the spring-like weather (and by spring-like I mean warm then snow, then warm, then snow, then…) I had a sudden craving for the flavors of those Argentine asados. I went straight to that beautiful article – garlic, flat-leaf parsley (really, what is the point of curly-leaf parsley?), red pepper flakes, dried oregano. Beauty is simplicity.

mix in a bowl

add olive oil and vinegar



I’m really enjoying these fresh and simple recipes of late and not just because they don’t suck up my entire day to make. It is incredibly satisfying because I know I will come back to them again and again when I cook for the two of us, or for a dozen friends. Summer is fast approaching and I look forward to sharing favorite foods with favorite people.

let sit for 2-3 hours

serve atop favorite grilled or roasted animal



The way I love to eat the chimichurri is with some good crusty baguette and a few slices of grilled beef. Really though, I think chimichurri goes well on just about anything.

one of the many reasons i love argentina



Chimichurri
[print recipe]
from Puerto Viejo restaurant in Buenos Aires as featured in Saveur issue #35

10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 cups flat-leaf parsley, minced (should yield 1/2 cup when minced)
2 tbsps dried oregano
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt
pepper, freshly ground

Combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Mix together. Whisk in the olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 2-3 hours. Serve with grilled or roasted meats. Store refrigerated in a glass jar. Will keep for up to 1 week. Makes about a cup.

42 nibbles at “nevermind the snow, i’m ready to grill”

  1. Ruth Ann says:

    I have never seen chimichurri before. Looks really yummy. Can’t wait to try the recipe.

  2. Memoria says:

    Looks lovely.

  3. Shoshana says:

    I LOVE Chimichurri!! I like making an extra large batch of it and use some of it to marinade my beef (goes really well on skirt steak and usually when I use this recipe. also good on chicken thighs!). and then serve some w/the meat too.

  4. Debs says:

    I’ve never had Chimichurri sauce despite living in spain where it easily available in supermarkets. I had been told a few years back that the bottled sauce is not good or particularly authentic, so I’ve never bothered to try.

    I’m liking the sould of your recipe though and will certainly be trying it very soon; especially as we enter the summer months and will be BBQ ing very soon. Oh yum a good stead with your chimichurri sounds fabulous. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Nan @ tastingoutloud says:

    Ive always wanted to visit Argentina. My favorite savory flavors all together — what’s not to like?

    I’m helping a friend plan a big party for her daughter’s homecoming and will make this a surprise accompaniment to her planned grilled leg of lamb and London Broil. It will be a grilling trifecta of deliciousness!

  6. Rosa says:

    What a gorgeous meal! That Chimichurri sauce looks so flavorful!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  7. Valérie says:

    Mmmmm, love chimichurri! I love it on a burger!

  8. My Kitchen in the Rockies says:

    This sauce will go into my recipe box. Thanks for sharing. It sounds wonderful.

  9. Brooke says:

    Gorgeous! I’ve never had chimichurri before, but my dad lived in Argentina for two years and I’m wondering how he brought back flan and never this amazing concoction! Bookmarking the recipe & using it post haste. THANK YOU!

  10. Maria says:

    Looks like the perfect plate to me. What a great sauce!

  11. Trolleira says:

    Just yesterday I had grilled steaks with chimichurri. They were just great – they were marinated with soysauce and chimichurri! What great flavors combined!!!

    Hello from down below!
    Trolleira

  12. Janet says:

    I am totally crazy for chimichurri! I love it so much more than pesto, and agree that it’s good on just about everything (try it on toasted sourdough with goat cheese, for an awesome combo). We often serve it with grilled lamb chops, for company. It’s got a big WOW factor — most people have never heard of it, and everyone who tries it, loves it.
    Gorgeous pictures, as usual.

  13. Fiona says:

    Hey! I love curly-leaf parsley.

    But I know I’m the only one. I even grow my own in the garden because otherwise…you can’t count on finding it when you need it.

    We love chimichurri. But we have Argentine/Uruguayan friends, so we just go over there if we crave grilled meat with a fresh, tart, spicy sauce.

  14. Nichole says:

    this chimi is so bright, fresh and delicious! three cheers for chimichurri and our lovely jen yu!

  15. Kirsa says:

    looks lovely.
    do you know if it’s safe to can ?

  16. Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen says:

    This is so beautiful looking. I love chimicurri on everything, especially a good piece of bread. I just had some at a dinner party on Saturday night and was telling myself I was going to find one. Thanks for the recipe!

  17. Melissa says:

    Beautiful, beautiful plate. I have only made chimichurri once, a few years ago, and it was not what I wanted it to be. Should try again.

    And wth IS the purpose of curly leaf parsley? Anyone?

  18. Emmy says:

    Oh my god, this post came out just as I was wondering what I could do with all the leftover parsley in my fridge. A girl can only do so much with those big bunches using a few tablespoons at a time. This looks awesome!

  19. Ann says:

    Forgive Me Father…I actually can’t remember having chimichurri on my trip to Argentina, but I’ve eaten it bucketloads in Houston.
    Love it!

  20. TheKitchenWitch says:

    This is great! I made chimichurri last week, and served it on seared tuna. It was delicious! But now my mouth is watering for steak…

  21. DaveG says:

    Melissa – About the only thing I’ve seen curly leave (aka Chinese) parsley used for is garnish. But it’s also a good breath freshener after garlic and such.

  22. Janet says:

    Fabulous!!! I just got my Big Green Egg cleaned up and ready to go. Will definitely try this. Also, after visiting all my on-line peeps today I had to say AHHH! when I got to your sans adds page. Thanks!

  23. johanna says:

    i discovered chimichurri a couple of years ago and i haven’t lookd back… it’s now our favourite steak accompaniment. i have to say i play around with the ingredients a lot, often using coriander/cilantro instead of parsley, which i find is a wonderfully cooling flavour – and i always use a combination of garlic, red onion and fresh red chilli… it’s a real versatile kind of sauce and i also love it with grilled salmon where it cuts through the oiliness of the fish very nicely!

  24. Eesh says:

    The photo titled “garlic and I are old lovers” is the ultimate in food porn.

  25. becky says:

    I love chimichurri! I had a roommate in college who had spent time in Argentina and she made some and it was amazing. I am so excited to try this recipe. Thanks.

  26. Silvia says:

    We used to have bbqs every week with our Argentinian friend (he has moved back home). He would bring “El Chimi”, I would bring Tzaziki…His recipe is the same as yours, only without the pepper flakes as Argentinians tend not to eat spicy food. By the way – I think you are the only one that can make parsley look sexy ;)

  27. Mrs Ergül says:

    This looks good Jen! And it is indeed a fun fun way to read! I can see that the cuisine of Argentina has left a fantastic impression on you!

  28. Veggie Belly says:

    delicious chimichurri! reminds me of my visit to argentina :) gorgeous photos.

  29. Katie says:

    Wow, that looks delicious and so easy to make! I’m definitely going to try this – it would easily and quickly jazz up a steak or fish. And I agree that saying “chimichurri” is fun – it reminds me of “chim cher-ee” from Mary Poppins!

  30. Stephanie says:

    That really genuinely looks amazing. When I was younger I never understood why anyone would want to eat parsley but as my knowledge of food grows I find that I can hardly function without it in the fridge. I will definitely try this.

  31. K says:

    Delicious meal! My family would so enjoy this, thanks for sharing it!

  32. Toasted Pide with Fried Egg, Avocado and Chimichurri « LimeCake says:

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  33. jenyu says:

    Nichole – I’m so happy you and Luke enjoyed the chimichurri :) Next time, we’ll serve it to you at our house!

    Kirsa – That is something I have neither experience with nor knowledge of – sorry!

    Janet – thanks, but I actually have an ad on the page… just that it isn’t the kind that moves or blinks or takes forever to load ;)

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  37. Pauline says:

    Oh my goodness this was to die for. Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is such a simple recipe yet so flavorful. I’m so glad I found your blog. I’m also attempting to make the creme brulee. Thanks for sharing!

  38. Lizzy says:

    This green stuff is GREAT on just some crackers (love the rosemary Carr ones) with feta cheese. It is sooooooo good!!!! love it.

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  40. Jen says:

    We made this chimichurri today and served it over lamb chops tonight – delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  41. Mig says:

    I have tried several chimi recipes and this is the best one I’ve found! (Thank you!) But I think it is even better by using one package of fresh oregano rather than dried! (And I use slightly less liquid, but in the same proportion.)

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