Thursday, March 4, 2010

Chimichurri Sauce for Meat

I always thought the Chimichurri Sauce was Argentinean. However, some friends were recently telling me of a trip they took to Key West. While there they ate at a fabulous Cuban restaurant – and chimichurri was served with the steak they ordered. They loved it and found this recipe from Three Guys from Miami. I served it with steak this week – but I think it would be fabulous with chicken or fish as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of cilantro leaves
8 cloves garlic
1/4 cup vinegar
Juice of one lime
2/3 cup olive oil (When I make this again I will use a little less oil; maybe a hair over ½ cup)
1/2 cup onion
Dash or two of red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions from the Three Guys:

We like to make it the easy way. Put everything except the olive oil in a blender and using the "chop" setting, click on and off until you have a thick mixture. Do not over process! This is the kind of dish you need to taste and adjust so that you get just the right flavor! So taste it! (The best way to taste it is with a piece of bread.) Whisk in the olive oil. (If you use the blender to incorporate the oil, the oil and liquids will emulsify, giving your chimichurri a white, paste-like texture.)

Add salt, pepper, more vinegar and lime juice as needed. The flavor should be very intense with garlic and cilantro. Don't be stingy with the salt either!