The weather is getting warmer by the day and I’m constantly drawn to enjoying my patio and cooking as many meals as I can on the barbecue. I’ve been grilling various meats from chicken, pork, and steak. I’ve often found myself keeping it as simple as possible with enjoying my steak with a side of horseradish, dijon mustard, or barbecue sauce. However, I recently had someone mention one of their favorite steak pairings was chimichurri.
Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce that has various uses both in cooking or as a table condiment for grilled meats. The main flavor profile comes from parsley and garlic and is very simple to make with only a few ingredients.
Going back a few weeks ago, I remember going a bit insane with being quarantined at home and wanting to get out of the house. The weather started getting warmer and all I wanted to do was one of my favorite things in the summer – patio sessions. I decided to get out and go for a drive after being stuck at home (for a month at that time). I drove by a Home Depot Garden Centre and I noticed a massive line up. I thought to myself that gardening would be a great way to enjoy the outdoors while ensuring I continue to do my part with staying at home and social distancing. I ended up driving by Potter’s Nursery and noticed that the parking lot was empty and didn’t have a line up. I decided to pull in and noticed that they had a sale on herbs and vegetables.
Living in a small 500 square foot condo, I decided to keep things minimal and opt for buying a few herbs to get started with my green thumb skills. I ended up purchasing some of the main herbs that I recognized such as parsley, oregano, thyme, mint, cilantro, and rosemary. I also purchased some basil seeds as they didn’t have these plants yet in season. Upon returning home, I immediately started potting and planting my first patio herb garden.
Of course, once I finished working on my green thumb skills, I celebrated by fixing myself up a cocktail to enjoy a patio session with my freshly planted herb garden on my spacious not-so-spacious patio. I made a Blueberry Gin & Tonic with Tempo Arandano Blueberry Gin by Goodridge & Williams Distillery & Cocktail Co., a locally crafted spirit from BC.
Now back to the chimichurri sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
1 handful, onions, finely chopped
4 cloves, garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon, chili flakes
1 teaspoon, himalayan pink salt
1/4 cup, red wine vinegar
1 handful, parsley, finely chopped
1/2 handful, cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 handful, oregano, finely chopped
1/4 handful, mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup, extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Step 1: Combine garlic, onion, chili flakes, salt, and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Set it aside and let it sit as this will allow time for the onions to pickle a bit.
Step 2: Stir chopped parsley, cilantro, oregano, and mint into bowl then add olive oil.
Voila! The sauce is ready. I find that the longer it sits, the better the flavors will come out. You can use this sauce as a marinade, spoon over grilled meats as it cooks, or served on the side as an accompaniment. You can even add it to bread for sandwiches or whatever else you’d like. I decided to serve it on the side of a steak dinner.
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