Homemade Chimichurri

 

In case you didn't know, chimichurri is the absolute numero uno condiment to use on steak or pretty much any kind of meat. It's basically a relish made of parsley, garlic, and hot pepper flakes all soaked in vinegar. Not sure if it sounds great? Just trust me and try some. 

Chimichurri is all over the place now, but I personally didn't know about it until I travelled to Argentina back in 2007/8. In Argentina they do steak and grilled meats really, really well, being one of the biggest beef producing countries in the world. They've developed a whole food-culture surrounding steak and the parillada or cookout, which I indulged in many times while down there. 

One of the key parts of that culture is chimichurri sauce and when you try some of it on a piece of steak, especially grilled steak, you will know why. Something about the acid in the vinegar, and the tang of the garlic and parsley just balances out the fats in the and the protein, making these two ideal partners. For the same reason, chimichurri goes well on just about any meat: chicken, sausage, pork. Seriously, you need to try this and it's better when home made. 

How do you make this at home? Well, if you're like me, you read a recipe online, compare that with what you remember in your head, and then completely improvise the entire thing; a method of cooking that often steers me wrong but more often is extremely satisfying and teaches you how to do something the right way, on your own.

Ingredients:

3 bunches of parsley

1-2 full cloves of garlic

red pepper flakes

white or red vinegar

Chop up a bunch of parsley and garlic. Then put it in the blender or food processor, along with the red pepper flakes, for a couple quick pulses. Then find a sealable container, like the one shown (or whatever you want) and put the mixture inside. Then pour in the vinegar until the liquid line is about half to 2/3 of the jar, then top it up with some water. I highly recommend you not skip the addition of the water. I did not dilute it with water on my first attempt, and the results were way too tangy, leaving me with a feeling like I had swallowed a knife. That's a lot of straight vinegar.

If the chimichurri seems a bit thin or soupy, basically just cut more parsley and garlic. What you want is a consistency almost like a pesto sauce. Naturally, it's not going to be as oily or stick together like pesto, but you can use a bit of olive oil if you want to achieve that effect. But make sure to stir it in every time you use the chimichurri. You may want to let it sit for a day or two before eating it, but that's not even necessary. And it stays good for months and months, like most condiments.