I’m a #saucybitch so if there is (a) sauce available and (b) the appropriate vessel, you can be sure I’m piling it on.
I’ve always been a condiment queen.
Ketchup (+ any ketchup variation you may have in house) with my fries.
Valentina hot sauce on my egg sandwich.
Extra mayo on my sandwich (oh and let me dip my fries in it too?)
While I love food in it’s purest form, I also just love sauces, what can I say! I think “foodies” look down on people like me. Like I’m covering up all the good flavors with my sauciness. But really, I think that a good sauce can actually bring out all of the good flavors and therefore turbo charge the flavor experience. Who doesn’t want MORE flavor?
Side note: Mayo is where I see the biggest side eye. I used to be embarrassed how much I love mayo but I’m here to shout it from the rooftops. Of course, mayo has its time and place. Waldorf salads make me wanna barf, but good mayo on my turkey sandwich or with my fries? Yes, please! We just need to rebrand it to “aioli” for y’all to get it. As Alison Roman once said, “aioli is Brooklyn for mayo.”
Which brings me to this chimichurri.
Chimichurri is a sauce or marinade typically made with finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, vinegar, and olive oil. It originates from Argentina and Uruguay but many other cultures have adopted this sauce and made their own adaptations. It’s such a simple base recipe, so there’s a lot of room to play around and make it exactly to your liking.
And for this recipe, I gotta give full credit for this recipe from my booboo which he created with inspiration from Argentina and Chilean variations - the cilantro is a fun twist that adds a tangy flavor.
I love it because it’s fresh and zippy and super easy to put together. You can really make anything shine with this sauce! I particularly love it on steak, chicken and salmon - but it’s also delish on all red meats, fishes, and veggies. Hey, I’ve even thrown leftovers on my eggs in the morning. And if I’m feeling xxxtra saucy, I mix it WITH MAYO for my chicken salad sammies (the audacity!)
I gotta say, I another reason I love chimichurri is because it’s just such a fun word to say. Which is why you’ll find me calling it “chimiiii” for short … how cute is that;)
Chimiii
makes 1 cup
Ingredients
2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1-2 medium jalapeño, seeded (optional, omit if you don’t like spicy!)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more if you’d like it oilier
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Let’s do it!
Combine all the ingredients and add to a blender or food processor.
Mix lightly. You want to keep some texture from the leaves, so don’t mix it to complete pulverization.
Taste if you think it needs more oil, salt, or vinegar. Trust your tastebuds! Everyone likes it differently.
Serve right away, or store in an airtight container (with a bit more olive oil) for up to 3 days.
Happy cooking.
Love ya mucho.
Tessa
Always in top of a great skirt steak....the jalapeno is a great addition. making it spicy too!!!! Thank you...