Help from Argentina: Chimichurri

On Wednesday, I needed some kitchen help.  I had a busy morning in the city, and then at 4:30 packed up Julia and Eva and headed out to Southampton, stopping on the way to pick up my visiting parents at the Islip airport.  Even if all went according to plan, we wouldn’t reach the house until about 7:30, and I had Julia to get to bed and tired and hungry travelers to feed. (They had risen at 4:30am to catch an early flight from Seattle.)  I needed something fast and easy for dinner, but nice enough to celebrate their arrival.

New York strip steaks with Chimichurri seemed like just the ticket.  Chimichurri is a delicious and versatile sauce from Argentina that transforms simple meals of grilled meat into something special.  It comes together quickly from common ingredients, and it keeps for months in the refrigerator (getting better with time), so you can pull it out whenever you need a quick South American boost for your cooking.  I made up a batch of Chimichurri the night before, picked up some steaks, salad greens and potatoes before we left town and had dinner on the table by 8:30.  It was delicious, if I do say so myself.

Though it’s a green, herbal sauce, don’t confuse Chimichurri with light, bright, summery salsas based on tomatoes or tomatillos. This condiment has a deep, almost pungent herbal flavor that stands up well to rich grilled meat without overwhelming it.  If you’re planning ahead, it makes a great overnight marinade for beef or lamb, but it’s also excellent used on the fly, especially with a nice cut of beef:  just baste the meat with the sauce right before you pull it off the fire and serve a little more on the side.

Chimichurris vary a lot from cook to cook, so feel free to experiment.  For me, the key ingredients are fresh oregano, parsley, a chili of some kind, garlic, olive oil, and red wine or sherry vinegar.  The following recipe is my current favorite variation.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 jalapeno

2 teaspoons tightly packed fresh oregano leaves (measure — it may be more than you’d guess)

2 teaspoons tightly packed fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon tightly packed fresh rosemary leaves

about 1 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 tablespoon tightly packed flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped shallot

2 bay leaves, crumbled

2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  Char the jalapeno directly on the flame of a gas burner or under a broiler, turning until it’s blackened and fragrant.

2.  Seed and mince the chili — don’t discard the blackened skin.

3.  Very coarsely chop the oregano, thyme and rosemary.

4.  Warm the oil in a small saucepan until it’s hot to the touch.  Pull it off the heat and stir in all of the ingredients.

5.  Leave to infuse for an hour or so at room temperature before serving or storing in the refrigerator.