Doesn’t that name just scream fun? Even if you don’t know what it is?

I will have to digress for a moment before I actually get to the recipe. I have had occasion over the years in several of my jobs to meet various famous people. And I have come to this conclusion. If you are nice before you become famous, you will be nice after you become famous. And if you’re not, you won’t.

Michelle Bernstein was raised up right because she’s really nice. Michelle is what they’re calling these days a “star chef.” She’s won the James Beard Award and she also beat the stuffing out of Bobby Flay on Iron Chef. I met her last fall at the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium, where I am quite certain she was bitterly regretting agreeing to make lunch for 500 extremely knowledgeable and food-obsessed writers, chefs, industry professionals and hangers-on like me. The reason I came to this conclusion is that I watched her direct a team of other chefs in an outdoor assembly line and I will tell you the girl looked like she was about to have a heart attack. At the end of the meal, she just stood there hugging her husband for a very long time and I know her next stop had to have been the nearest bar. The food was fantastic. And in the middle of all that, in the heat of battle, she sweetly agreed to let me take her photo. And at a meet-and-greet later on that day, she was just delightful and Southern people put a pretty high premium on delightful.

I am telling you all of this to say that last fall I did not understand that Michelle Bernstein would change my life with her chimichurri recipe from Cuisine a Latina, her cookbook. I had heard of chimichurri for years, but I’m not the biggest parsley fan on the planet and chimichurri is mostly parsley. But I was so wrong about this sauce. Traditionally,  it’s served with grilled meat in Argentina. It’s like their national catsup.

So after a particularly parsley-heavy funeral food marathon, I had some left over. I made the sauce. I grilled a hangar steak. And I tried the meat and sauce together. Something happens when that vibrant garlicky, slightly spicy sauce hits that charred medium rare meat that is unexplainable. It is unbelievably good and ya’ll have just got to try it. It makes me want to be Argentinian, which would also make me a lot more interesting.

Michelle Bernstein’s Chimichurri

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leave
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Note: Traditional Chimichurri must be made at least an hour before serving.

Put parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, and vinegar into a blender or food processor and process until it becomes a coarse paste. Use a rubber spatula to scrape mixture into a bowl or other container. Stir in olive oil; add salt and pepper. Let sit for at least one hour before serving.

3 Comments

  1. Howard
    HowardReply
    March 2, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    I love thart sauce, having had tons of it in Argentina over the years. You must get down there, the food, you’ll die its so good and lots of beef!
    and as far as not being interesting?
    Naw!
    To quote a Billy Joel song
    ‘Don’t go changing, to try and please me
    You never let me down before
    I’ll take you just the way you are’
    You are the best!

  2. larry
    March 3, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    I love chimichurri and will have to try the version soon. Thanks for sharing the nice story about a nice person – it’s good to hear something positive for a change.

  3. Argento Wine
    March 10, 2011 at 5:23 pm

    Love it! There are so many delicious ways to make chimichurri — everyone seems to have their own special family recipe which is just a little bit different. There are countless delicious ways to prepare and eat beef, as you know… and the Argentines have mastered them all! You might also enjoy reading our recent post about Argentina’s national love affair with the asado and with steak, including our own delicious recipe for Jarilla Scented Sirloin of Beef With Sun-dried Tomato Ratatouille, Grilled Vegetables and Chimichurri. Enjoy!
    http://www.therealargentina.com/argentinian-wine-blog/argentine-steak-a-true-national-passion-recipe/

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