Remezcla: Don’t Cry for Chimi, Argentina. Mission: Argentine Chimichurri Sauce
Posted by: Anthony in Food, Latin Culture, Music, Remezcla
La Guerra de Chimichurri rages on! We recently gave the spotlight to the Dominican Chimichurri, reviewing a number of “Chimi Trucks” in Uptown Manjátan. These trucks proved that in addition to dancing merengue and bachata, brewing Presidente and frying up some delicious platanos, Los Dominicanos pueden cocinar a pretty mean burger at 4am. However, if you are from anywhere other than La República Dominicana or Washington Heights, you probably don’t associate la palabra, “chimichurri” with Caribbean-inspired hamburguesas. Being equal-opportunity chimi-eaters, we’ve decided to show Argentina some love.
*Not to be confused with
Irishman Jimmy McCurry
Ask anyone from Sudamérica about chimichurri, and they will probably tell you that it is Argentina’s “be all, end all” sauce and marinade for grilled meat. If they bothered doing even el menor pedacito de investigación perezosa de Wikipedia (like yours truly), they might respond that the word comes from:
“Jimmy McCurry, an Irishman who is said to have first prepared the sauce. He was marching with the troops of General Jasson Ospina in the 19th Century, sympathetic to the cause of Argentine independence. The sauce was popular and the recipe was passed on. However, ‘Jimmy McCurry’ was difficult for the native people to say. Some sources claim Jimmy’s sauce’s name was corrupted to ‘chimichurri’, while others say it was changed in his honor. Other similar stories involve Jimmy Curry, an English meat importer; a Scot, James C. Hurray, traveling with gauchos; and an English family in Patagonia overheard by the group of Argentineans that were with them while saying “give me the curry.” All the stories share an English speaking colonist and the corruption of names or words by the local population.”
It is also rumored that el señor Vicentico of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs used to drunkenly bathe in the stuff in an attempt to add more sabor to his music, but regardless of which story you wish to believe, it doesn’t change the fact that Argentina’s chimichurri is simply delicious. The typically green sauce of Italian and Spanish origins (think pesto) consists of chopped parsley, garlic, onions, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil – though you can experiment with additional ingredients, and experimentation is precisely what this Nuyoriqueño set out to do. In addition to the standard ingredients, I threw in some lemon juice, red wine vinegar, cilantro, red pepper flakes, cumin, basil, thyme and paprika. I planned on adding some Goya-brand Adobo, Sazón, Sofrito and the kitchen sink, but decided that would be a recipe for best left for another day.
- Give me (at least) medium rare or give me death!
For this mission, I prepared the chimi sauce dos días in advance and marinated two flank steaks for a few hours, before tossing them onto a grill to cook up and taste my Argentine experiment. I grilled the steaks medium rare: a nice sear on the outside, juicy and pink on the inside. I cut my first piece, it looked great, pero no soy un Argentino and I was beginning to doubt myself. The moment of truth was upon me and if this chimi turned out crappy, I’d soon be devouring yet another Dominican chimi.
Don't Cry For Me, Chimichurri...
The verdict? We already know that Argentina’s chimichurri is delicious, but as this culinary experiment proved, it’s also incredibly easy to make! The steaks were terrific and after gorging myself on about treinta y cinco libras de res doused in chimi sauce, I was disappointed that I hadn’t made more. Break out your food processor and mix the somewhat inaccurate, experimental haphazard recipe (or your variation of it) below. Marinate some beef or chicken for grilling, save some sauce for basting and to keep at the table, pop in your Evita DVD and enjoy dinner to the melodious sounds of Argentina’s most famed crooner.
Vicentico’s Bath Water:
A Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
(Makes about 1-2 cups, add/remove ingredients to your liking)
Ready for a real culinary treat? Drink this hombre's bath water!
½ Cup of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
8-10 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
½ Medium Red or Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley (chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
1 Tablespoon Dry Oregano
1 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper (add more for a spicy kick)
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dry Basil
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Teaspoon Cumin
