chimichurri

Chimichurri is a sauce and marinade used with grilled meat in Argentine cuisine. Chimichurri is made from chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and chili with oil. Vinegar or lemon juice can be added for more 'bite'. Adding coriander leaf (cilantro) is another variation. It is usually the only seasoning for steak and chorizo sausages in Argentine asados. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat. Chimichurri is also available bottled or dehydrated for preparing with oil and water. It is told that the unusual name comes from 'Jimmy McCurry', an Irishman who is said to have first prepared the sauce. He was marching with the troops of General Belgrano in the 19th Century, sympathetic to the cause of Argentine independence. The sauce was popular and the recipe passed on. However 'Jimmy McCurry' was difficult for the native people to say, so Jimmy's sauce was corrupted to 'chimichurri'. Other similar stories involve Jimmy Curry, an English meat importer; a Scot, James C. Hurray, travelling with gauchos; and an English family in Patagonia overheard by the group of argentinians that were with them while saying "give me the curry". All the stories share a British colonist and the corruption of names or words by the local population.

Chimichurri

See also