Chimichurri Sauce - Authentic and Easy

Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce made with finely-chopped herbs, garlic, oil and vinegar. It originates from Argentina and Uruguay, where it is traditionally used to dress grilled meats. It sometimes contains spicy peppers or red pepper flakes, and the herbs vary to include favorites like parsley and cilantro. 

It's really quite simple to make and has a very fresh bright flavor that goes so will with grilled steaks, especially when the weather is warm and you may perhaps be dining al fresco. But you can make it year-around and will find it a great condiment to be used in place of the traditional mushroom type sauces that also go well with grilled meats.

While I've given you measurements below, you don't need to follow them. Use them only as a rough guide the first time you make the sauce. After that you can do most of it by memory using rough measurements for the ingredients. The key to an authentic chimichurri is not over-processing/chopping the herbs as you are not looking to turn them into a paste. It is for this reason many good cooks chop by hand. But I do use the food processor for speed and ease, being sure to pulse the ingredients to very small pieces but without making it form into a totally smooth paste. 

Ingredients
1 bunch flat leaf parsley or cilantro, about the size of a man's fist
   or a combination of the two herbs
3-4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

1 small red chili pepper or teaspoon dried red paper flakes (optional) 

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Instructions

Stem the herbs and discard the stems. Place in a bowl of the food processor, if using. Add the remaining dry ingredients and pulse until finely chopped or chop everything finely by hand.

Place the olive oil and vinegar/lemon juice in a small bowl, and with the food processor running add in the wet ingredients. If there is not some excess oil add a little more and mix. Alternatively, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes (and up to 2 hours) to allow the flavor to release and meld. Chimichurri can be prepared earlier than needed, and refrigerated covered for up to 24 hours, if needed.

Drizzle on grilled meats like steaks or chicken when serving. Can also be used to baste meats toward the end of grilling.