Discover Argentina’s Famous Green Chimichurri Sauce

Everybody’s got a green sauce. The French make theirs, persillade, with parsley and garlic, Moroccans have chermoula (add cumin and coriander) and the Milanese mix lemon zest into theirs to make gremolata. As for the Argentineans, a parrilla’s not a parrilla if there isn’t chimichurri on the table. Derived from the Basque word: tximitxurri, which means “ hodgepodge”, it’s really chimichurri’s red wine vinegar, olive oil and chili flakes give the piquant punch to cut through substantial steaks, and to make the carbonized flavor of grilled meats, fish, or vegetables feel complete.

The first time I had Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton and Greg Denton’s chimichurri, it was served in a small dish alongside a massive bone-in halibut chop. Their restaurant, Ox in Portland, OR was inspired by travels in South America – from a uniquely Pacific Northwest vantage point. What I first took as a dip for bread, proved to be my introduction to the understated potential of chimichurri. Their original recipe has been a mainstay at Oxt since they opened 12 years ago. Greg, who says he “loves a good steak” found that often, the accompanying sauces are “ too rich, too sweet, or too smokey.” But chimichurri was just right – “the greatest compliment to grilled foods.”

Photo by Jake Southard

Their recipe is pretty traditional, maybe the minced onion is debatable, but it’s not a deal breaker, whereas using any vinegar other than red wine might be. With bold and juicy Malbec from Argentina (which has become a darling of steakhouse wine lists everywhere) in mind, the Dentons sought out a more tannic, fruit-forward red wine vinegar to finish their chimichurri. Their go-to is the one Beaufor. “It’s aged 2-months in oak barrels for a smoother, rounder palate,” notes Denton.

They’re proving that chimichurri has much more versatility than as a steak accompaniement. For a more robust version of leeks vinaigrette, the Dentons blanch and then grill local leeks, and drizzle them with their garlicky chimichurri. “We also love serving our chimichurri with our house-basked warm sesame baguette and salted butter — we adore the combo of butter fat and the zestiness of the chimi,” Denton coos.

From the PNW to the New York’s Catskills region, Norberto Piattoni, chef of The Modestos, a live-fire catering company, agrees as to chimichurri’s comprehensive appeal. Piattoni, who is originally from Federación, Argentina, where the tradition of asado (barbecue) is strong, has a lifelong connection with the verdant sauce. Piattoni learned to make chimichurri from his father, who mixed dried herbs (parsley and oregano) with the requisite garlic and chile flakes and then hydrated it with warm water, seasoning with salt and vinegar, and sometimes a little bit of oil. “If there’s enough fat on the meat, you [just] need a sour sauce to cut through it.”

Once he started working in restaurant kitchens, Piattoni began elevating all of the ingredients in his chimichurri, starting with fresh herbs and often adding marjoram and/or cilantro, which he says, “no one in Argentina uses.” At his former Brooklyn restaurant, Metta, Piattoni made his own vinegars – some of which ended up in chimichurri. But today, they source high-quality cabernet vinegar from California, noting that most Argentineans use a cheap version from the supermarket. He even amps the sauce up with colatura (fish sauce) for a little funk.

But even with these tweaks, matched with good olive oil, his chimichurri can take the place of butter alongside bread. “Chimi is pretty good in anything — I have served it with chicken, fish, calamari … But it is better the day after; let it sit and marinate,” Piattoni says. The mixture stays fresh for a day or two before oxidizing, after which Piattoni will use it to marinate steaks, closing the loop. He’s even dehydrated the solids and used it as a chimichurri rub for grilled meats or as a seasoning for tartare. Regardless of where it lands on the chimichurri lifecycle, Piattoni abides by a ratio of 1:3, vinegar to oil. “It’s a sauce, not a vinaigrette,” he points out. “It should be round but has to have acidity.”

Whereas Javier Barduail, chef/owner of Barda in Detroit, Michigan, plays around with Patagonian cooking techniques, and uses a lively amount of vinegar as a way to “stimulate salivation” as he says. Whereas Barduail adds a shot of 5% acidity vinegar (softer vinegars, like rice, are often at 4%) to most his sauces and as well as an ajoblanco that goes glazed beets, he strictly uses red wine vinegar in his chimichurri, for its “the strong flavor and savory notes,” which complement the “fresh and herbaceous” qualities other ingredients. On the menu at Barda, there bife, a striploin with chimibutter (chimichurri-enriched compound butter), and caviar service with tallow toast and more chimibutter, but Barduail’s favorite way to eat chimichurri is on a choripán, a beloved Argentinian grilled chorizo baguette sandwich. He serves a deconstructed version of choripán at the restaurant, but doesn’t stray too far from the inherent nature of chimichurri, which frankly, is something I’ve been a little obsessed with over the years. I’ve put it on scrambled eggs, whole roasted cauliflower and even grilled summer squash, but my biggest win was with grilled chicken wings, as a base for a jalapeño-fortified hot sauce. The results, well, you’ll just have to try it. I know you’ll join the chorus of “chimichurri is good on everything!”

RECIPES:

Chimichurri

By Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton and Greg Denton, Ox, Portland, Oregon

Makes about 2 cups

½ cup finely minced yellow onion

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon grated or finely minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon chile flakes

1 cup olive oil

½ cup red wine vinegar

In a medium bowl, combine the onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and chile flakes. Pour in the olive oil and vinegar and mix well. Use immediately, or store, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to a couple of days. To make a version that will keep longer, combine all of the ingredients aside from the vinegar, and add the vinegar just before serving.

Chimichurri Chicken Wings

By Michael Harlan Turkell

Serves 2-4

2 cups chimichurri, see recipe above

4 jalapenos (2 roasted, 2 raw, seeds removed)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

Olive oil

2 pounds chicken wings, drummettes preferred

Salt

Parsley and oregano, leaves picked, to garnish

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced, to garnish

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced, to garnish (optional)

In a blender, combine the chimichurri with the jalapeños, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.

Season the chicken wings with a liberal amount of salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Fire up a grill, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss the wings in enough oil to coat, and then start cooking them, turning every so often, until you get a nice char on the exterior and they’re fully cooked through, about 20 minutes.

When the wings are done, toss them in a bowl with the modified chimichurri sauce. Garnish with parsley and oregano leaves and thin slices of onion and, if you like, additional fresh—or even pickled—jalapeños.