Chimichurri: The must have sauce for Labor Day

By: Jose Pereira

I am a huge fan of Chimichurri sauce for pretty much anything. You can put it on steaks, chicken, fish, use it as salad dressing, with plain white rice to add flavor, and just recently I started putting it on potato salad.

I started making this recipe ten years ago. Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinian sauce for steaks but since I’m from Chile I had to modify a bit to my own liking.  It is super easy to make, does not have many ingredients, the ingredients are all easy to find, and if you don’t trust your knife skills you can even make it in a food processor.  I personally like to do it all by hand, because it’ll give it a more rustic look.  Too many pulses in the processor and it’ll be a paste, you don’t want that.

Like I said, this is traditionally an Argentinian recipe but I wasn’t a big fan of some of the ingredients. So I experimented a bit with different things and this recipe is a result of some trial and error. But, I believe its pretty good. The traditional recipe uses parsley but I prefer cilantro. It also uses regular vinegar and I used balsamic vinegar because of the different flavor it gives the sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 bunches cilantro. Finely chopped 
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano. Leaves only. Stems are tough.
• 4 cloves of garlic. Minced
• 1 medium shallot. Finely chopped 
• One Lime or lemon. Juice
• 1 cup Olive oil
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• One chili pepper (ideally red for contrast) or 1 tsp chilli pepper flakes 
• 1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of paprika*
• Dash of cumin*

* I don’t always add these. Just sometimes to change it up a bit. But I really only use dash or sprinkle. Very little.

Chimichurri Preparation

Mix all ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. You might need to adjust the oil amount (more) to get the right consistency. 

When cutting by hand, be careful not to cut yourself and the best way to do this is by having very sharp knives. I know, it sounds counterintuitive. However, a sharp knife will do a two things for you. First, you have to apply much less pressure when cutting, preventing the risk of the knife slipping and cutting you. Second, if you do cut yourself the cut will be much cleaner instead of jagged. A dull knife will basically rip through your skin whereas a sharp one will slice cleanly. I still cut myself but I rarely feel the cut and only notice afterwards. The cut will also almost instantly seal itself and heals exponentially quicker.

I mentioned the use of a food processor above and not wanting the Chimichurri to be a paste. If using a food processor start with the garlic. Garlic can be finer and won’t affect the taste or texture. Next do the shallot, making sure to use the pulse and control the amount of chopping, you want to be able to see the pieces. The shallot gives contrast to the mostly green ingredients. Next, the cilantro and oregano. Again, use the pulse and if you control it properly you will get a very similar look as if it was all hand chopped. Put all the chopped ingredients in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, mixing it with a spoon.

The Chimichurri should be good for about a week in the refrigerator. Just remember to take it out at least an hour before needing it. The oil will thicken when refrigerated.

Chimichurri sauce is the perfect sauce for a Labor Day BBQ and a great combination with some outdoor games for Labor Day.

Enjoy!

About the Author

Jose “Joe” Pereira was born and raised in Chile. He lived in Massachusetts as a teenager and then his family returned to Chile where he finished High School and attended the Chilean Naval Academy. After serving for five years as a Chilean Marine Lieutenant he returned to Massachusetts and joined the US Marine Corps. His military service took him throughout the United States and the world, where he picked up a little bit of the culinary culture of each place he lived in. Jose’s love for food has been a common thread throughout his life. His influences are hispanic, Texan, and Southern US. He’s a recently Retired US Marine and lives in Dana Point, CA.