Chimichurri

Chimichurri is always a good decision.

If you're not familiar, it's the Argentine condiment. It always accompanies grilled meats (and other stuff). I love it because it tastes fresh, garlicky and just a little bit spicy. And because it reminds me of a rooftop asado in Buenos Aires, where I lived for a couple of months right after college.

Yes, I’m pulling that I-lived-in-Argentina-for-a-very-short-time card to hype up this recipe. But honestly, here’s why: I see a lot of chimichurri recipes out there (like, most of them) that look nor taste nothing like what was served at typical steakhouses in BsAs.

Cilantro in chimichurri? Get outta here. Blending until creamy? Does not compute.

Traditional chimichurri is oily, roughly chopped and you could probably identify the ingredients by sight if you needed to. I’m not saying this is the only way to do it, but it’s the way I like it best.

This is fantastic on pork chops (as pictured), steak, chicken breasts, shrimp, grilled or roasted veggies... even on eggs. That's everything there is, right?

So yeah, it's good on everything.

Traditional Chimichurri Recipe

paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian | yields ~1.5 cups

Ingredients

1 big bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped (~1-1.5 cups)
2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 T fresh oregano leaves, chopped finely)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (pull out the good stuff)
2 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or finely minced fresh red chili pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Mix everything together in a bowl. The end.
It keeps for a few days. Personally I think chimichurri tastes better the second day after the flavors have mingled overnight. You can also freeze it for later, though it’ll lose some of its brightness and color.

Notes

If you love herb-y sauces, try Gremolata next. It's like the Italian version of chimichurri.
Always red wine vinegar for chimichurri. Any other type of acid would change this to a different condiment, but it will probably still taste great with others so play around if you want.
You can use a food processor or blender and it will totally still taste delicious, but with a different texture. I’ve used a smoother version as a base for creamy sauces by adding some avocado or mayo.