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Chimichurri steak sauce
South Americans are some of the most ardent beef consumers on the planet – so it stands to reason that they know a thing or two about how to bring out the best in steaks.
Chimichurri sauce is the perfect accompaniment for grilled meat and is seen everywhere in countries such as Argentina. A garlicky, vibrant green sauce, it balances the tang of vinegar with the softness of olive oil to produce a unique blend of flavours.
A very large bunch of Italian (flat leaf) parsley
A teaspoon of dried oregano (or two teaspoons of fresh)
Around eight to 10 peeled cloves of fresh garlic
One medium Spanish (red) onion
A cup of extra virgin olive oil
Half a cup of red wine vinegar
Salt, pepper and dried chilli flakes to taste
Remove the parsley stems, add the garlic cloves and onion and either chop as finely as possible or pulse in a food processor. Add the oregano, oil and vinegar then gradually add the salt, pepper and chilli. Be brave - the sauce should be highly seasoned.
If pre- preparing the sauce, omit the vinegar until just before serving as it will ‘cook’ the other ingredients and the sauce will lose its characteristic deep green colour. The sauce can be kept refrigerated but it best served at room temperature.
There is no such thing as a definitive chimichurri recipe so feel free to experiment. Canned anchovy fillets give a little more depth of flavour and Piri Piri can be used instead of the dried chilli.
Some of your guests will be startled by the deep green colour of the sauce. Tell them the purpose of the huge quantity of parsley is to act as a breath freshener. If nothing else, that will make them think.
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