Chee-mee-CHOO-ree! It’s as fun to say as it is delicious to eat.
When people ask me what the heck chimichurri is, I describe it as an Argentinean pesto (sans nuts). Because, like pesto, chimichurri is fresh and herbaceous.
Chimichurri is a condiment with Argentinean origins that typically contains parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and flakes of chili pepper. It usually accompanies grilled meats, like steak.
The more you know!
After much research, experimentation, and sampling, I’ve created a chimichurri I’m pretty damn pleased with. And it’s all thanks to my secret (not-so-secret because it’s in the title) ingredient….
ROASTED GARLIC!
While traditional recipes call for the use of raw garlic, sometimes the results can be overly pungent. Garlic can be unpredictable; like eating the overly browned potato chip at the bottom of the bag. Nine times out of ten it’s acrid, and you chastise yourself for eating it because damn it, you knew better.
Roasted garlic removes the undesirable element of pungent surprise (and garlic breath), and replaces it with a more subtle garlic flavor, one that is sweet, savory, and buttery. Mmmmm.
PLUS, the smell of roasted garlic is better than any commercial air freshener. And how satisfying is it to squeeze individual roasted cloves from the bulb!?
This is seriously AH-mazing paired with grilled foods like steak, chicken, potatoes. And if you’re looking for a good way to use up any leftovers, I highly recommend trying it on scrambled eggs or slathering it on a grilled cheese sandwich (or really almost any type of sandwich).
- 1 head roasted garlic
- 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley (around 1 to 1½ cups, packed)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, packed (optional)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add all ingredients to a food processor, and puree until smooth.
- For best results, wait at least 2 hours (at room temperature) before use to let the flavors develop.
I STRONGLY DISLIKE cilantro. It smells and tastes like soap. I know I’m not alone.The soapy flavor is not detectable by me in this recipe. But if you hate cilantro so much you can’t fathom spending a dime on the vile herb, simply omit it from this recipe. I understand.
Some chimichurri recipes contain more oil than my version, but my preference is for a chimichurri that is more paste-like and spreadable. If you prefer an oilier chimichurri, increase the amount of oil until you reach the desired consistency.
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