Argentina: Chimichurri

Before Alex left for Buenos Aires, she told me that chimichurri always accompany asado, or grilled meats, in Argentina. I actually added the red wine vinegar to this recipe to have some more liquid in it. When I was done, I knew it was missing onions and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Alex’s mom wanted me to play with it and adjust it to my liking–I felt that was good enough permission to mess with this traditional salsa recipe.

I bought a few pieces of beef bottom round, browned and baked them in the oven for a couple of minutes for some medium-rare goodness. I sliced the meat in smaller pieces and served them with crispy lettuce. I had this very satisfying meal with chilled white wine. I’ve never regretted not having wheat beer in my fridge as I did that night.

Ingredients:
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried hot red-pepper flakes, or more
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
salt

1. In a bowl, slowly whisk in red wine vinegar with the olive oil. Add all the other ingredients. Use pepper flakes, salt and lemon juice to taste.