To make chimichurri, hand-chop a cup of flat-leaf parsley fine, stir it with three minced garlic cloves, a teaspoon of dried oregano, a half teaspoon of chile flakes, two tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and half a cup of olive oil, then let it stand an hour before it goes anywhere near the steak.
What is chimichurri?
Chimichurri is the standing sauce of the Argentine grill, a loose, spoonable slick of chopped parsley and garlic sharpened with vinegar and warmed with oregano and chile. It is not pesto: nothing is pounded to a paste, nothing emulsifies. The oil stays loose, the herbs stay distinct, and the whole thing is applied by the spoonful to meat straight off the fire, where the heat blooms the garlic and oregano on contact.
The two rules that matter: chop by knife, and rest by the clock. A blender bruises parsley into a dull sludge and turns the oil bitter. And fresh-mixed chimichurri tastes like its parts, it needs an hour on the counter for the vinegar to tame the garlic and the oregano to open up.
What goes in chimichurri?
- ·1 cup finely hand-chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 1 large bunch)
- ·1/2 cup olive oil
- ·2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ·3 garlic cloves, minced fine
- ·1 tsp dried oregano
- ·1/2 tsp red chile flakes
- ·1/2 tsp coarse salt
- ·Black pepper to taste
Two parts parsley to one part oil by volume, with vinegar at a quarter of the oil. Dried oregano outperforms fresh here, its dusty depth is part of the signature. The chile is a warmth, not a burn.
How do you make chimichurri?
- Chop the parsley fine with a sharp knife. Take your time, this is the whole texture of the sauce.
- Mince the garlic nearly to a paste with the salt, dragging the knife flat over it.
- Stir parsley, garlic, oregano, and chile flakes together in a bowl.
- Add the vinegar and stir, then the oil. The sauce should be loose and spoonable, add oil if it mounds.
- Rest at room temperature for at least one hour before serving.
- Spoon over grilled meat at the table, and brush a little on during the last minute of grilling if you like.
What should you know before making chimichurri?
- Make it in the morning for dinner. It improves for a full day, and holds a week refrigerated. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
- No blender, no food processor. If you only remember one rule, this is it.
- It is not just for steak: spoon it over grilled chicken, fish, roasted potatoes, or fried eggs.
Where did chimichurri come from?
Chimichurri comes off the estancias of the Argentine pampas, where grilled beef needed a sauce that could be mixed in a bowl beside the fire and kept for days without refrigeration. Vinegar, oil, dried herbs, and garlic were what the grill hands had.
What can you make from chimichurri?
Common questions.
Can I use a food processor for chimichurri?
You can, and you will get a different, worse sauce: bruised, muddy, and bitter. Chimichurri is defined by knife-cut herbs sitting loose in oil. Ten minutes of chopping is the price.
How long does chimichurri keep?
A week in the fridge in a sealed jar, and it is better on day two than day one. The oil will solidify when cold, let it stand at room temperature for thirty minutes before serving.
What is the difference between chimichurri and pesto?
Pesto is pounded into an emulsified paste with cheese and nuts. Chimichurri is chopped and stirred, no cheese, no nuts, and the oil stays loose. Pesto coats pasta, chimichurri cuts through grilled meat.