Chimichurri

Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce for grilled meats, but it works well with anything grilled. Great also as a pregrill marinade, it is a combination of fresh herbs, usually parsley and cilantro, plus garlic, onion, olive oil and vinegar. It is grassy, herbaceous, and tangy.

There is no one correct way to make chimichurri. I used flat leaf parsley, cilantro, and since I had it outside I also used fresh marjoram, for its floral and lemony accent. You could use fresh oregano. I know some use sage or rosemary. I use a combination of red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice, along with a little red onion, garlic, and jalapeno. This is a sauce that you can customize to your taste.

The herbs are chopped together but instead of chopping them on a cutting board and leaving some of their flavor behind on the cutting board, I pulse everything together in a food processor and add the oil and acids by hand. A simple seasoning with salt and pepper and you’re ready. Fire up the grill!

Chimichurri

1 cup flat leaf parsley

1 cup cilantro

3 to 4 Tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves

1 or 2 cloves garlic, lightly chopped

¼ cup red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped.

Juice of ½ lemon

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine the herbs, garlic, red onion and jalapeno in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped. Remove the herb mixture to a bowl. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Cover and set aside until needed.

Grilled New York Strip Steak with Chimichurri