Chimichurri Sauce

Yum! The smell of BBQ on a summer evening. Now all you need is the chimichurri sauce to accompany the meat!

 

Chimichurri Sauce is a traditional dipping sauce popular across Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil that is the perfect accompaniment to meat, bread and cheese.

 

How did Chimichurri get its name?

We will probably never know, but the popular suggestions are:

1. An Irishman named Jimmy McCurry first made this sauce in Argentina in the 19th century, and the locals named the sauce after him, but as they weren’t able to easily pronounce his name, it ended up being called “chimichurri
2. Prisoners in Rio de la Plata would ask for their condiment by saying “che mi curry”, roughly translating as “hey, my sauce”, and then morphing to “chimchurri”
3. The word “chimichurri” has deviating from the Basque word “tximitxurri”, which roughly translates as “mixture of random things”

 

What is Chimichurri Sauce?

The ingredients of Chimichurri certainly vary depending on who is preparing it. Everyone has their perfect recipe, but the main common ingredients are: various mixed herbs such as parsley, oregano, coriander,  Ají (chilli), garlic, oil, salt, vinegar and water.

 

Homemade Chimichurri (Chimichurri “recipe”)

It is so easy to make your own chimichurri mixture – you just need an empty bottle, and then add any of the following ingredients – leave out or use less of anything you don’t like, and add extra of your favourite!

• Coarse salt
• Aji (chilli)
• Oil (any salad type)
• Whole garlic cloves
• Adobo (mixed herbs)

Then fill the bottle to the top with water/vinegar to hydrate the herbs. To use, shake well and serve. As the bottle empties, keep filling with water/vinegar. Over time, the taste will fade and you can make a fresh batch

 

Although its easy to make your own, you can also buy ready-made mixes that just require hydration with oil, water and vinegar. Buy Chimichurri Sauce here.