Chimichurri?

[FowlersFreeTime]

Does anyone have a recipe they like for chimichurri? Or tips for better results?
This delightful accompaniment to steak is something I usually buy in the supermarket here, but I would like to try making it from scratch this weekend. I found this recipe online which seems promising:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3-4 cloves garlic , finely chopped or minced
2 small red chilies , or 1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon finely chopped chili)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 level teaspoon coarse salt
pepper , to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

source: Authentic Chimichurri (Uruguay & Argentina)

I may omit the chili peppers, or make one batch with and another without, since I'm not sure if my guests will like the spice.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Does anyone have a recipe they like for chimichurri? Or tips for better results?
This delightful accompaniment to steak is something I usually buy in the supermarket here, but I would like to try making it from scratch this weekend. I found this recipe online which seems promising:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3-4 cloves garlic , finely chopped or minced
2 small red chilies , or 1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon finely chopped chili)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 level teaspoon coarse salt
pepper , to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

source: Authentic Chimichurri (Uruguay & Argentina)

I may omit the chili peppers, or make one batch with and another without, since I'm not sure if my guests will like the spice.

I make it and freeze it in ice cube trays then transfer the cubes to zip lock bags. I've never put oregano in mine before. I've got the recipe somewhere (I make it in summer when I have an abundance of fresh herbs growing). Your recipe looks good, let us know how it tastes!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I make it and freeze it in ice cube trays then transfer the cubes to zip lock bags. I've never put oregano in mine before. I've got the recipe somewhere (I make it in summer when I have an abundance of fresh herbs growing). Your recipe looks good, let us know how it tastes!

I can't take the credit (yet) as all I have done is found a recipe on google, but I am definitely taking in all the tips I can get. For example, your suggestion of freezing the unused sauce is something I should have thought about! Also, I have read that using a food processor can result in too fine a chop for the ingredients and the sauce could look more like a green paste versus a tasty condiment.

Oh and I hear you on the Oregano, it sounds out of place to me too, but maybe the fresh stuff might add an interesting layer of flavor?

 

[medtran49]

Or cilantro?

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Or cilantro?

My wife hates the stuff, and you know what they say: Happy wife, happy life...

 

[karadekoolaid]

Hey, after 1,000 years living in South America, I´d say that´s about as authentic a recipe as you could get.
Argentina is south, but I mean, waaaay south,so cilantro is not really an option. It´s a temperate climate so coriander will probably not grow too well. As for the chile pepper - yes, my Argentinian friends would add some hot pepper.
If you put it in a jar and cover it with olive oil, it may survive perfectly in the closet. I don´t see a reason for freezing it, but that would work perfectly.

 

[JAS_OH1]

If you put it in a jar and cover it with olive oil, it may survive perfectly in the closet. I don´t see a reason for freezing it, but that would work perfectly.

Except for that it's really, really hot in Florida.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Also, I have read that using a food processor can result in too fine a chop for the ingredients and the sauce could look more like a green paste versus a tasty condiment.

Oh and I hear you on the Oregano, it sounds out of place to me too, but maybe the fresh stuff might add an interesting layer of flavor?

I used my food processor and it came out a perfect texture. And yes, fresh oregano would be better I think, for certain aesthetically since dried is a dull green, but the measurements will be slightly different. All in all, just taste it and use your own judgment on adjusting the ingredients. I ended up going heavier on the garlic because we are garlic fiends, lol. Also I like using semi-roased garlic. It's a little mellower in flavor and easy to work with, as the skins just slip off the cloves.

The dollar stores sell inexpensive plastic ice cube trays.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Except for that it's really, really hot in Florida.

Since I´m (occasionally) even further south (in Caracas), I know how heat can affect food. In this case, I speak from experience!

 

[JAS_OH1]

Since I´m (occasionally) even further south (in Caracas), I know how heat can affect food. In this case, I speak from experience!

I totally trust you on this and your overall culinary experience and expertise. But I've a feeling it wouldn't sit in your pantry for 6+ months. Someone like me might use it a year later. And my pantry is full of other stuff, but I've space in my freezer for it.

 

[karadekoolaid]

But I've a feeling it wouldn't sit in your pantry for 6+ months.

No, no - absolutely not! It´d probably be gone within a week or so.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

JAS_OH1 and karadekoolaid you both have points, there. I can see that the layer of oil would prevent spoilage by isolating the condiment from open air, but like Jas, I probably wouldn't go through an entire batch in short order. I might refrigerate the leftover sauce, we'll see.

 

[JAS_OH1]

JAS_OH1 and karadekoolaid you both have points, there. I can see that the layer of oil would prevent spoilage by isolating the condiment from open air, but like Jas, I probably wouldn't go through an entire batch in short order. I might refrigerate the leftover sauce, we'll see.

I also make sure there's a light layer of oil on top in the tray sections before freezing. It helps keep it bright green. But the cubes are helpful in portioning how much you want to use.

 

[JAS_OH1]

My wife hates the stuff, and you know what they say: Happy wife, happy life...

Regarding cilantro: my oldest brother thought he hated it, but his wife and I conspired to blend it with some other herbs and he had no idea it was even there. He loved what we made and we just looked at each other in a "wink wink" fashion, LOL. And then we told him. He was a little disgruntled at first but then he grudgingly agreed that it was good the way we used it. Hey, it's not like he was allergic or anything, and it really was a minor amount. I do understand that many people find it soapy or otherwise distasteful.

But if your wife truly hates it, you could make two batches, one with, one without.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Hey, it's not like he was allergic or anything,

Cilantro is one of those things that many people love, and some find tastes like soap.Then there´s another thing about raw onions, leeks, garlic - it actually makes some people heave (my wife, for example). It´s ok cooked. I was aghast a few years ago to discover that some people have an allergic reaction to chiles. Any capsaicin, and their lips go red, they get blotches, etc. Then there are some Brits who seem to have an aversion to sweet & savoury. For example, sweet potatoes , or sweet potatoes with marshmallows (God Forbid), or thing like plantains with cheese, or, in a specific example, to Venezuelan "cachapas". Cachapas are made with freshly ground corn (sweetcorn), a bit of milk, a touch of sugar, then spread on a hotplate (griddle) to form a thick pancake. They´re usually served with white cheese. Then there are some vegetarians who won´t eat mushrooms because "they´ve got a meatlike texture". How do they know if they´ve never eaten meat??