Tag Archives: chimichurri

Chimichurri steak sauce – The easiest, best way to flavor or marinate a cut of beef

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Whether as a marinade or a sauce, it’s tough to deny that one of the best complements to a good steak is some freshly made chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri sauce is easy to make, adds immense flavor, and has a long tradition of making meat taste better.

A favorite in Latin American cultures cuisines, chimichurri has exploded as one of South America’s greatest culinary exports.

What’s in chimichurri sauce?

Chimichurri is a meat accompaniment that derives from Argentina and Uruguay. Most commonly, it is made of minced garlic, chopped parsley, and dried oregano, mixed with either white vinegar, olive oil, or both. Sometimes, other ingredients can include kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, cilantro, and onions. In Uruguay, red pepper flakes or other hot peppers are often included in chimichurri.

Chimichurri is most often used as a post-cooking sauce for steaks, other beef dishes, or sausage. Some chefs or backyard cooks also use chimichurri as a marinade, although that is less popular than the condiment in sauce form.

The unknown history of chimichurri’s name

While its origins in South America aren’t disputed, the name of the sauce is unclear; some of the etymology myth of chimichurri is quite unbelievable.

The most likely backstory for chimichurri is that it was invented by gauchos, Argentinian cowboys, who used dried herbs with the beef they cooked in the traditional way, over a wood-burning fire.

One theory about the name chimichurri is that it is a misunderstanding of the Basque language word “tximitxurri,” which sound like chimichurri when pronounced, and means “a mixture of several things in no particular order.”

The oddest explanation for the name is that it is a mispronunciation of “Jimmy curry,” or “Jimmy McCurry,” the supposed Irishman/Englishman Latin American-based meat seller who invented the sauce and may have fought for Argentine independence.

How to make chimichurri

No matter the history, our ButcherBox Head Chef Yankel Polak is a huge fan of the sauce. As he explained, he was first introduced to chimichurri when he was a teenager living in Jerusalem. “When we could cobble enough money together for a big night out at a steakhouse, there was an Argentinian place called El Gaucho that would serve giant slabs of meat on heated stones.”

“A South American friend pushed a bowl over to me and said try this, it’s the ketchup of Argentina,” Chef Yankel said. “I was confused until I tasted it and realized you could put that shit on anything.”

And, often, Chef Yankel does. We have many featured ButcherBox recipes with variations on chimichurri. “It’s like this perfect mouthwatering blend of salt and vinegar and super bright herbs,” Chef Yanked added. “It cuts through the richness of beef like a lighting bolt of flavor, which is crucial because after a few bites of steak your palate can dull.”

Here is one of Chef Yankel’s favorite spicy chimichurri recipes. As he explained, “Although the standard recipe is pretty straightforward, I’m into experimenting with it — trying different herbs, various acids, even mixing up the peppercorn elements.”

This chimichurri steak sauce can be used with the picanha cut — also known as coulotte, tri-tip steak, or ribeye steak :

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup packed parsley roughly chopped, reserve 3 Tbsp
  • ½ cup packed cilantro roughly chopped, reserve 3 Tbsp
  • 1 serrano, cut in pieces (cut in half lengthwise & remove seeds for milder sauce)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup + ½ cup of water
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a blender, combine the parsley, cilantro, serrano, lemon juice and ½ cup of water. Turn blender on high. If blades do not catch the mixture and blend into a puree, open the top of the blender and slowly pour in more water until the mix blends properly. The mixture should turn a bright green.
  2. With the blender on moderate speed, incorporate the olive oil. Blend just until combined. Over-blending will make the olive oil bitter.
  3. Once the mixture is thoroughly blended, add the minced garlic, salt, pepper and remaining cilantro and parsley. Pulse to combine.
Customers at the Matlock Farm in Lincoln.

New cuts, cooks, and creativity: The ButcherBox customer experience

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Recently, we had an incredible farm dinner that gave us the opportunity to talk with a few of our ButcherBox customers. The conversations confirmed that the same foundational ideas ButcherBox was built upon are some of the reasons these loyal customers love our ButcherBoxes.

Everyone we spoke with appreciated the access we provide to meat that is free of antibiotics and hormones and is raised humanely.

But we were surprised to hear how many of our ButcherBox customers enjoyed the experience of getting a curated box of different meats each month.

The more unusual and difficult-to-find cuts that we often include in our shipments were mentioned often. People enjoyed having to work with foods they were not used to, either using our recipes or their own creativity and cooking ingenuity.“

“I like how it is a surprise every month of what you can get,” said customer Sam Malekiani. “It keeps you on your toes.”

Karen Reid said “It is tough to find grass-fed, grass-finished meat. I could find it periodically at supermarkets, but not consistently. I like these meats and cuts because they have more flavor.” Customer Eric Kneidel had a similar sentiment: “You get more tender cuts with no hormones and drugs. You can taste the difference.”

Longtime ButcherBox subscriber Jeff Freedman told us, “There have been a lot of types of meat that we’ve gotten that we might not have thought about buying. So we are able to try different types and try different ways of cooking it.”

Introducing people to new cuts of meat is an essential part of the ButcherBox experience. And while we love the recipes we’ve developed and share in our boxes, it was also great to hear how people are using these flavorful meats and unique cuts in innovative ways.

To Alison Fedolak, the chicken thighs we include in some boxes are an “added bonus.”

“They’re tasty; they’re fresh. They go really well on the grill, and they don’t dry out, so you can put a nice rub on them, or marinate, and they taste delicious,” she said.

Matthew Medeiros was never, by his own admission, a big fan of drumsticks, but now it’s his favorite cut. “They are so tender and juicy,” he said. “I slow roast them, and then I’ll broil them to char them or throw them on the grill if it’s nice out.”

Dawn Reid cooks our flank steak on the grill with some chimichurri sauce on it. “Real simple,” she said. “It’s a great summer dish, and it’s great cold in a salad. “

Her sister Karen likes a good flank steak marinated in what she calls her “1/3 recipe”: “A third acid, such as vinegar; a third sweet, could be maple syrup or brown sugar; and a third salty, for which I use soy sauce.”

“Marinate and throw on the grill, and it’s beautiful,” she added.

Greg Loftus uses ButcherBox ground beef in his chili, and, as he said, “It’s a world of difference.”

“Even in chili where there are so many things, it still makes a massive difference.” Greg’s brother Eric confirmed: “The flavor is outrageous.”

And Eric isn’t the only one who has noticed the difference using our meat can make. As Jeff and Jane Freedman explained, “People are always asking where we get our meat, and they want to be invited over whenever we get a new ButcherBox.”

In all, it was great to hear from customers that are enjoying healthier, more humanely-raised meats, but it was fascinating to hear about the new experiences that come with each month’s ButcherBox.