Chimichurri Sauce and Marinade

 Chimichurri Sauce and Marinade 

     The first time I had Chimichurri was in Miami. I grew up going to Miami because that's where my dad was from and where my grandparents lived. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I started to understand the rich food culture Miami had. I would go to the grocery store just so I could explore all the local brands. I loved seeing things like fresh empanadas in the bakery case, and isles full of all sorts of marinades and sauces I had never heard of. Soon I had to make sure I left room when I packed for Miami to bring some of those precious shelf stable sauces home with me. Once I ran out I would start to look up recipes for how to make them on my own. I have always thought Chimichurri was such an easy way to add TONS of flavor to meat and chicken. When I had to stop eating acidic food a few years ago to heal my vocal chords, I forgot all about one of my favorite condiments. I made it recently and was so happy to add it back into my life! Chimichurri is a specialty of Argentina and Uruguay. It's made from lots of fresh parsley, olive oil, and vinegar. I like to use a mix of parsley and cilantro, while not as traditional I have seen many recipes made this way and I like the flavor of the mix of herbs. If you don't like cilantro feel free to use all parsley! 

 

Chimichurri Sauce and Marinade

(makes about 1/4 cup, enough to marinate 2 lbs of meat or to be used as a dipping sauce, double the recipe if you want to marinate meat and also have some to serve on the side)

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves 

2 tbsp chopped red onion

3 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

optional 1 clove of garlic or 1 tsp garlic infused oil

Directions

1) Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 10 times or until all ingredients are roughly  chopped.

You also can use an immersion blender for about 10 seconds but the mixture will be a finer texture.

How do you use Chimmichurri?

Serve Chimichurri alongside grilled steak and chicken kebabs as a dipping sauce or drizzle it over the meat for lots of flavor! It's so good you will want to put it on everything! It's also great on eggs and any type of cooked veggie. 

Chimichurri makes a great marinade. Rub the mixture over 2 lbs of chicken or steak cut into 1 inch pieces for kebabs and let marinate for at least 6 hours before grilling. 

Enjoy!

The chimmichurri will keep in a sealed container for 3 days in the fridge.