This easy-to-make sauce goes well with all barbecued meats, vegetables and fish.
The good weather is finally here, and with it, the unmissable summer event that will delight grill lovers: the barbecue! Beef ribs, rib steaks, merguez, chipolatas, chicken, lamb skewers, pork loins, salmon, tuna, sea bream, sea bass, sardines… you will have a choice of grilled meats, which it will be essential to accompany with a good marinade. Among the usual sauces, we find mayonnaise, béarnaise, tartar sauce, barbecue sauce or even Andalusian. What if we put aside these conventional condiments for a sauce more appropriate for grilling, worthy of the best South American grills, a region where barbecue has been elevated to the level of art?
This is a green sauce, a boldly flavored blend of herbs and spices that originated in South America, specifically Argentina and Uruguay. Gauchos, the herders of the Pampas, made it to accompany their grilled meats during their long horseback rides. It requires just a few ingredients: a combination of parsley, garlic, chili peppers, dried oregano, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. While this sauce is usually made with a mortar and pestle, grinding in a food processor or finely chopping the ingredients by hand will do the trick. Ready to give chimichurri sauce a try? Follow the steps in the recipe below.
- Wash a bunch of fresh parsley and keep only the leaves. Peel 4 cloves of garlic and remove the seeds from a small red pepper.
- Finely chop with a knife or blend in a food processor the parsley, garlic and red pepper and place everything in a bowl. Add a teaspoon of dried oregano, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix everything together until you have a smooth sauce.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper. Taste as you go to adjust if necessary.
- It’s done! Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before use.
There is no doubt that chimichurri sauce will add a touch of freshness, an explosion of flavors and a hint of acidity to your grilled meat or fish bites. This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, which is practical for your impromptu barbecues, and can also accompany your vegetarian dishes, such as grilled vegetables or sautéed mushrooms. Enjoy!