Chimichurri on Everything!

My first recipe for chimichurri came from an old issue of a Latina magazine from around 1995, which explains why the notepaper I copied the recipe into is totally faded…

8 Chimichurri Recipes for Your Next Party

The idea of chimichurri is simple: a blender sauce made up of olive oil, vinegar, parsley, onions and pepper. Once processed into a loose paste, serve it over grilled meats.

I loved that it was a good alternative to mojo sauce, essentially a combination of olive oil salt, water, dried peppers, garlic, paprika and some citric acid (lemon, lime or orange).

Chimichurri originated in Argentina, but other Latin American countries have added their own special varieties, and you can tweak your own version too!

Certainly, from the simple version that I fell in love with two decades ago, there have been other complicated, chucky versions with chopped bell peppers. Some versions may include tomatoes, or red wine vinegar, mustard, or a variety of spices, oregano and scallions.

For those who can tolerate cilantro, can mix or substitute the parsley. We are part of the 4-14% of the population that share a group of olfactory-receptor genes that makes us perceive cilantro as soapy. It’s science.

The sauce goes equally well over chicken as it does fish, over vegetables, in soups, as a dressing to salads. And there’s sopping up with crusty bread and washed down with a cold beer or some piquant or fruity wine. Topping baked potatoes with chimichurri is better than smothering it in butter, and tastier!

My personal favorite is the variety that incorporates avocado and results in a creamy and sexy sauce that is good over steak, great with an orzo and grilled chicken antipasto salad, and extraordinary as a marinade base for fish filets. I also use it to boost mayo, and with a dash of Sriracha, it makes for a decadent flavor to elevate any sandwich or burger.

If you make the creamy avocado sauce, you’ll find that it congeals when refrigerated. If you’ve ever had Chicken Villeroy, which has a base of Béchamel sauce, I use the same principle but with the creamy avocado chimichurri. Then you can coat in breadcrumbs and seal it in with the meat or fish. It’s spectacular!

I’ve seen it used as a dipping sauce for empanadas as well as a dressing for corn, and in tacos.

Although chimichurri is generally a savory sauce, I did see an interesting version with tomatoes, red onions, and grilled peaches that I am curious to taste. There’s a video here.

The Pinterest board includes several varieties of chimichurri, but also a variety of dishes that will make the condiment all the more desirable from snacks, to salads, to main and side dishes, and even over eggs. Plus it is so much fun to say it (in English or Spanish)!