First Way: Mint Chimichurri
This is one of my favorites. It's a knock-off of Bobby Flay's. Don't get me wrong, Bobby is THE man among men, but I like my tweak a little better. You can use it on anything (proven when my EX Chef, my daughter, used it for a southwestern calzone topping) but it is best on a well charred, well salted skirt steak or hanger steak.
1 cup each, fresh: mint leaves, cilantro leaves & parsley
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 jalapenos rough chopped, 2 seeded, 1 with seeds
3 TBSP Honey (I use chili infused honey that I get from the Spice Merchants here in Temecula)
3 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford. It really makes a difference)
Pulse mint, cilantro, parsley, garlic, jalapenos, honey and mustard in a food processor or blender until its chopped and well combined. You may need to stop it a few times to scrape the sides down.
Once those are combined, with the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until well blended (emulsified).
The sauce should be a little chunky, not smooth. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
What's great about this chimichurri, is you can add more of any one ingredient to fit your taste. It took me a few times to get it combined in the food processor correctly, so don't get dissappointed if the first one doesn't come out perfect.
I would like to hear anyone's modifications to this, so please feel free to IM me with them!
Second Way: This is from a dear friend of mine that spent several years in Buenos Aires. This is the real deal and it is VERY intense. Me and my daughter LOVE it!!!
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TSP kosher salt, or more to taste
1/2 TSP coarse grind black pepper
1 TBSP dried oregano
2 TSP crushed red pepper flakes
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 TSP fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Mash the garlic in a bowl with the salt and pepper. Add the oregano, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and whisk to mix. Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Stir in the parsley.
Taste and adjust salt, pepper or vinegar as needed. It is great right away, but if you let this sit, the flavors will blend and it will be excellent!!
Topic: Chimichurri 2 ways (Read 1396 times)
