Authentic Chimichurri

Name: Authentic Chimichurri
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Americas
Ingredients: ½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley; 2-3 finely chopped/grated garlic cloves; 1-2 finely chopped red chillies; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; ½ cup olive oil; ¾ teaspoon dried oregano; Coarse salt to taste; ½ teaspoon black pepper powder

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Authentic Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a bold and refreshing herbed dressing/sauce hailing from Argentina and Uruguay. Although chimichurri has its roots in Argentina and Uruguay, its popularity has spread all over the globe, showing up in restaurants and the grocery stores.

Chimichurri has notes of citrusy, tart, garlicky, herby, and a tad bit spicy, and makes a great marinade or dressing for chicken, fish, potatoes and vegetables. Traditional chimichurri is made with parsley, garlic, red chillies, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. These simple ingredients yield a spectacularly delicious green sauce.

There are two kinds of chimichurri sauce, green and red. This recipe is for the more common green variety. There are so many variations in the world of Chimichurri, that it is now difficult to say which is the closest to the most authentic recipe there is. Hence, I did a lot of research and tried few different recipes and read many blogs (thanks to google translations) from Argentina and Uruguay.

I learnt that a more traditional chimichurri is meant to be a loose oil based raw sauce wherein the ingredients are simply stirred together with the oil being stirred in very last. A hybrid version would be to combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
I prefer the traditional method for fish and vegetables and the processed version for meats and marinates due to the texture. Give it a try! It is the most versatile delicious recipe! if you’re looking for an old-school style chimichurri recipe with beautiful flavours, then this recipe is for you.

Ingredients

½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2-3 finely chopped/grated garlic cloves
1-2 finely chopped red chillies
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper powder

Directions

Step-1

In a bowl mix together parsley, garlic, red chillies, red wine vinegar, salt, oregano, black pepper and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to release all the flavours.

Step-2

Add the oil and let it sit for 2-3 hours for the flavours to infuse.

Serve drizzled over vegetables or to baste meat while cooking.

Tips & Variations

In this traditional version of chimichurri, it is important to finely chop the parsley. I usually get a large handful, wash and finely chop, then measure.
If you like the strong flavour of garlic, use 3 cloves, if you like milder garlic, start with 2 cloves. Mix it all in and allow to sit for a few minutes and then, taste to adjust the amount of garlic.
Adjust the seasoning of the Chimichurri according to your taste. Add more salt, more pepper, less or more chili. It is up to you!
Whole red chillies can be substituted with 1-2 teaspoons of dried red chili flakes.
Red wine vinegar is the best vinegar for chimichurri. Use lemon juice as a substitution. I wouldn’t recommend using balsamic or white vinegar.