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Katys Kitchen
Chimichurri Sauce
At The GLPWO luncheon in
June I was asked to write a column
on easy sauces for meat
and chicken. I took this suggestion
and present chimichurri
sauce and “Hello Dolly” pesto
sauce next week..
The origin of the word
chimichurri is unclear. One
story says it is a corruption of
English words, most commonly
the name Jimmy Curry or
Jimmy McCurry, supposedly a
meat wholesaler.
The Argentine gourmet Miguel
Brascó claims that the word
chimichurri came about when
the British were captured after
the failed British invasions in
1806-1807. The prisoners
asked for condiments for their
food, mixing English, aboriginal
and Spanish words. Still other
stories say the name of the
sauce comes from the Basque
settlers who arrived in
Argentina in the 19th century,
and the name of the sauce
comes from the term tximitxurri,
loosely translated as "a mixture
of several things in no particular
order." Chimichurri is one of
most delicious and versatile
sauces around. It's traditionally
served with grilled steak, and is
an essential part of the
Argentinean BBQ, but it goes
great with chicken and fish too.
Chimichurri works well as a
marinade, and is also delicious
with Katy Reed
on vegetables. I love it best
with grilled short ribs.
You will quickly develop your
own proportions in this recipe.
Some people prefer more garlic,
some prefer only parsley,
and some add cilantro and
fresh tomatoes - experiment to
come up with your own signature
chimichurri.
1 cup firmly packed, coarsely
chopped flat-leaf parsley,
stemmed
3 tablespoons red or white
wine vinegar
4 large garlic cloves, minced
(2 1/2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons oregano
leaves- can use 2 teaspoons
dried oregano
¼- 1 teaspoons crushed red
pepper, depending on how
much heat you want
Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, combine
the parsley, vinegar, garlic,
oregano and crushed red pepper.
Process until smooth; season
with salt and pepper.
Transfer the sauce to a bowl
and pour the olive oil over the
mixture. Let stand for at least
20 minutes.
The chimichurri can be refrigerated
overnight. Bring to room
temperature before serving.
GRAPE NOTES
by John Lombardo
One fascinating aspect of
wine is the manner in which
regional cuisines developed to
complement the wines indigenous
to the region. For example
Coq au Vin in Burgundy or
Choucroute in Alsace. Katy
Reed in her food column this
week points out that
Chimichurri may have been created
by Basque settlers in
Argentina. So, as we look for a
wine pairing for grilled meat
with Chimichurri, what better
place to look than Argentina?
Malbec is a black grape
varietal and is one of the most
widely planted wine grapes in
Argentina. It is pronounced
“mahl-beck.” The grape has its
origins in France where it is
one of the six varietals that are
permitted in wines from the
exalted Bordeaux region. It is
used by the Bordelais to add a
plumlike flavor and complexity
to their wines. However, its
popularity in Bordeaux has
waned as it is prone to damage
from frost and is susceptible to
several vine diseases.
It is Argentina, however, that
has had the most commercial
success with the Malbec grape
and it may be thought of as that
countryʼs national varietal. The
best Malbecs come from the
Mendoza region of Argentina
which abuts the Andes
GLP NEWS Page 4
Mountains. The high altitude
and the hot climate make
Mendoza well-suited for growing
Malbec. Malbec has also
enjoyed some success in Chile
while it is virtually non-existent
in California.
Malbec is similar to Merlot in
that it is fairly fruity and medium
to full-bodied. However, it is
not as elegant as Merlot.
Malbecs can be lush and earthy
and can be aged. They, however,
lack the structure of finer
wines. Malbec wines are very
dark in color and are mouthfilling
with flavors reminiscent of
blackberries and plums.
You perhaps remember the
news stories from the 1990s
that touted the health benefits
of red wine. Further studies
have suggested that it is a certain
group of chemical compounds
in red wine which may
deliver these benefits. Malbec
is one of the two grape types
with the greatest presence of
these compounds.
Scientists may still be unsure
of the health benefits, but you
can be sure if you are grilling
meat this summer and topping
it with Chimichurri sauce, a relatively
inexpensive (generally
less than $20) Malbec will
make a great pairing.
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