Chimichurri is a word I like saying out loud. It sounds fun and zesty and I feel it would be totally okay to yell “Chimichurri!” at the top of your lungs during a party, no…a Fiesta! Am I right or am I right? Yeah? No? Okay…

What’s Chimichurri? It’s Argentina’s famous sauce that’s also very popular in Uruguay. Chimichurri is zesty, tangy, bursting with freshness, savoury and herby. A combination of flavours create this perfect medley. The sauce is neither liquid nor thick but it’s got substance and enhances just about everything it’s put on. If I had to categorize Chimichurri I’d say it’s more of a herb packed vinaigrette than a typical sauce.

Origin of Chimichurri

The origin of Chimichurri is unclear and there are quite a few tales about how it came to be. The first being it was invented by an Irish Immigrant named James (Jimmy) McCurry in the 19th century. Supposedly the sauce is named after him and the local Argentine pronunciation merged from Jimmy Curry to Chimi Churri. Another theory: in the 1800s captive British soldiers requested curry sauce with their meal, perhaps they said “give me the curry” which somehow translated to “chimichurri”? I’ll admit this theory sounds like it’s straight out of an episode of the BBC sitcom Allo Allo staring Gorden Kaye. Accents can be a hell of a thing…

Other people say Chimichurri’s origins are indigenous and the word was a generalized term used by a native group to denote any sauce used for meat.

Yet another theory alleges Basques brought their version of the sauce – Tximitxurri to Argentina. ‘TX’ in the Basque language sounds like ‘Sh/Ch’ so the pronunciation sounds like chimichurri. Tximitxurri loosely translates to a mixture of several things in no particular order which is essentially how one can sum up chimichurri. Now it’s important to note that not only does tximitxurri look similar to chimichurri, the ingredients are also similar for both. Personally I’m inclined to believe this last one because of the similarities but one can’t be absolutely certain of anything these days.

My Chimichurri Experience

A few years ago my husband and I met George at the wedding of a mutual friend. I’ll always remember that wedding for two reasons: #1 the bride was hugely disliked and everyone thought the couple wouldn’t last (turns out the marriage barely made a year and they got divorced) and #2 the great people I met. One of those people was George, an Argentinian from Buenos Aires now residing in Canada.

George talked about his time growing up in Argentina. He spoke a great deal about his cousins and about what life was really like; the hardships and the triumphs living in a South American city. We got along so well that by the time the wedding banquet was complete I received an invite to George’s house for a Parrilla (Argentine BBQ) complete with instructions on how to make Chimichurri using his family’s recipe.

I had my first Parrilla more than 15 years ago from an Argentinian Restaurant in Miami. It came complete with chicken, morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (sausage), beef short ribs, flap steak, kidneys and sweet breads/offal.  On the table sat a jar of tangy herby green sauce which I would learn was the quintessential sauce to all things Argentinian…Chimichurri. This experience was my culinary introduction to Argentina, and the start of my love for Chimichurri.

How To Use Chimichurri

Empanandas, Choripan, Seafood, Grilled Meats; all canvases for chimichurri. You can just about put it on everything. Salads, beans, bread, cheese, all types of meats and seafood, burgers, hotdogs, meatballs. The sky’s the limit when it comes to this delicious sauce.

Now everyone has their way of making this popular condiment but the base ingredients generally remain the same.

Chimichurri Ingredients

Parsley, Oregano, Onion, Garlic, Salt, Black Pepper, Oil and Vinegar are generally agreed to be ingredients for Chimichurri.  Opinions differ when it comes to adding other ingredients like chilies and hot peppers and I’ve heard varying opinions on the type of oil that should be used for the best chimichurri.

George along with the majority of Argentinians I’ve met all insist that good chimichurri shouldn’t contain too many ingredients.  In George’s words “Any more than 8 ingredients will ruin the sauce!”

Chimichurri Tips (from George)

• Chop, don’t blend or pulse the ingredients. Chimichurri should be chopped by hand.
• Oil and vinegar = 1:1/2 ratio. For every cup of oil, add ½ cup vinegar.
• Red Wine Vinegar can be substituted with apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon/lime juice but Red Wine Vinegar gives the best flavour.
• Allow the chimichurri to sit for a few hours, overnight for best results. It can be used straight away but it tastes better after the flavours meld.

Can Chimichurri be made in a Food Processor or Blender?

I asked a number of Argentinians how they felt about pulsing/chopping the ingredients in a processor or blending the ingredients and here’s what I found: ALL were against blending, the majority were against pulsing/chopping in a processor with the minority stating they would use/used a food processor out of convenience.

My friend Tony said his Argentinian friend Sebastian, a chef, insists that Chimichurri must be chopped by hand. Now Tony’s wife is Argentinian and she finds no issue with using the processor and neither does Tony, he makes his Chimichurri by hand and in a processor.

So to answer the question….YES it most certainly can. Here’s what you should know: Blending the ingredients yields a different result: a thicker saucy mass with unified ingredients whereas a food processor yields similar results to hand chopping, the ingredients are still separate and discernable but the flavours are unified.

Bottom line, make it the way you want to. Maybe experiment and see which way best suits you. You’re the chef of your kitchen.

Trinichurri

Trinichurri is my fusion of Caribbean and Argentinian flavours. I was born on the beautiful island of Trinidad and I wanted to represent a bit of that culinary culture in this recipe. Trinis (term used for Trinidadians) absolutely can not live without Culantro. Also known as: Bhandhania, Chadon Beni (Shadow Beni), Mexican Coriander, this herb is the backbone of Trinidadian Flavour and it’s a must have in my Caribbean Version of Chimichurri.

I only add 2 extra ingredients in my recipe so George shouldn’t be too vexed with me. I’ve put my Trinichurri on everything from Ribs to Roast Beef to hot dogs. I’ve even drizzled it on top soup and rice. Its definitely a great condiment to serve alongside any dish and I hope you’ll be as enthusiastic about it as I am. I’ve got a jar in the fridge that’s nearly out so you know what I’ll be making this weekend.