Argentinian Chimichurri

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large cutting board
• •Sharp chef's knife
• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Salad spinner or clean kitchen towels

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the herbs

   Wash the parsley and oregano thoroughly, then dry them completely in a salad spinner or by rolling in clean kitchen towels. Moisture is the enemy of chimichurri. Wet herbs will dilute your sauce and shorten its shelf life. Strip the parsley leaves from their stems, keeping only the most tender upper stems. Discard anything woody.

   Truly dry herbs are essential. Even a few drops of rinse water will throw off the consistency and cause the sauce to spoil faster.
2. 2

   Mince the garlic

   Place the garlic cloves on your cutting board and crush each one firmly with the flat of your knife blade. This ruptures the cell walls and releases the allicin that gives garlic its bite. Sprinkle the crushed cloves with half the salt and mince finely, using the salt as an abrasive to help break down the garlic into a paste. You want it nearly pureed, with no large chunks that will overwhelm a single bite.

3. 3

   Chop the herbs by hand

   Gather the parsley and oregano into a tight pile on your cutting board. Run your knife through them in a rocking motion, turning the pile ninety degrees every few passes, until finely chopped but not pulverized. The texture should be visible and distinct, like coarse green confetti. A food processor works in a hurry, but hand-chopping produces superior texture with more character.

   A sharp knife is non-negotiable. A dull blade bruises herbs instead of cutting them, turning your chimichurri brown and bitter within hours.
4. 4

   Combine the base

   Transfer the chopped herbs and garlic paste to a medium bowl. Add the remaining salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to distribute the seasonings evenly through the herbs. The mixture will look dry and compact. This is correct.

5. 5

   Add the liquids

   Pour in the red wine vinegar and stir vigorously. The acid will begin extracting flavor from the herbs immediately. Let this sit for two minutes. Now add the olive oil in a steady stream, stirring constantly to create an emulsion. Finally, add the warm water, which helps the flavors meld and loosens the sauce to spoonable consistency.

   Adding vinegar before oil allows the acid to penetrate the herbs directly. Reversing this order coats the herbs in oil and mutes their flavor.
6. 6

   Rest before serving

   Cover the bowl and let the chimichurri rest at room temperature for at least thirty minutes, preferably two hours. The flavors need time to marry. Fresh chimichurri tastes sharp and disconnected. Rested chimichurri tastes like it was born as a single entity. Taste and adjust salt and acid before serving. The sauce should be bright but not puckeringly sour, with a garlic presence that announces itself without dominating.

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your olive oil matters here more than in almost any other preparation. This is not the place for that dusty bottle from the back of your cabinet. Use oil you would happily dip bread into, with actual flavor and a peppery finish.
• •Fresh oregano and dried oregano produce different results, both legitimate. Fresh oregano tastes brighter and more floral. Dried oregano brings earthier, more concentrated notes that some Argentine cooks actually prefer. Use what you have without apology.
• •If your chimichurri seems too thick, add warm water a teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add more chopped parsley. The consistency should coat a spoon but flow easily when tilted.
• •This sauce improves dramatically on the second day. Make it the night before your cookout and refrigerate. Pull it out an hour before serving to let it return to room temperature and the oil to reliquefy.
• •Chimichurri doubles as a marinade. Coat steaks, chicken, or pork and refrigerate for two to four hours. The acid tenderizes while the herbs perfume the meat. Reserve fresh sauce for serving.

Advance Preparation

• •Chimichurri tastes best after resting at least two hours. Making it the morning of or even the day before serving is ideal.
• •Stored in a clean glass jar with a tight lid, chimichurri keeps refrigerated for up to two weeks. The oil may solidify when cold; let it sit at room temperature for thirty minutes before using.
• •For longer storage, freeze chimichurri in ice cube trays. Transfer frozen cubes to a freezer bag and use within three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)