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The chimichurri blueprint (& how to use it)

The chimichurri blueprint (& how to use it)

+ olive oil ice cream, mortar & pestle debate, & more.

Ethan Chlebowski & Keith McBrayer
May 26, 2024

Good morning…We’ve had some amazing reader photo submissions (like today’s winner). Keep them coming!

If photography and plating aren’t your forte, you can always send in a question or food trend suggestion. If it gets featured, we’ll shout you out!

RECIPE BREAKDOWN 🤯

The chimichurri blueprint

A chimichurri is made up of these 4 parts:

Herbs
Fat
Acid
Aromatics + Spices

Understand the components

Each element plays a vital role.

The herbs provide the base substance, color, and aroma to the sauce.
The fat provides an unctuous mouthfeel and transports flavors to our tastebuds.
The acid adds brightness and contrast. It also stimulates salivation for increased pleasure.
The aromatics and spices supplement the herbs' flavor.

A flexible format

Use what you have in the fridge. While traditionally herbs (parsley, cilantro) make up the dominant portion of the sauce, the ingredients and amounts are up to you. For instance, you could vary the ratios to make a pepper-forward red chimichurri like this:

Tips

You usually want more fat than acid. Start with a 3:1 fat-to-acid ratio and adjust from there — You’ll want just enough liquid to coat and submerge the chopped vegetables for a pourable condiment.

To blend or not to blend? Both methods yield good results but with differences in texture and taste.

Blending is easier and results in a homogeneous paste, while hand chopping, although more time-consuming, provides a crunchier texture with more varied flavors in each bite.

For extra flavor, hydrate dry spices with a splash of hot water before mixing in. This allows them to bloom and release more aromatics before becoming coated in oil.

This is a common maneuver with dried oregano, especially in recipes from Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay where the sauce originated.

Lastly, taste and adjust! Use your senses to dial in the chimichurri. You’ll have to add enough salt to bring out the flavors, and often extra acid or spices to get it just right.

Try out a classic green chimichurri to learn the blueprint, and then we’d encourage you to modify it to your preferences:

RECIPE RECCOMENDATIONS🥡

How to use chimichurri

Although we love using it on steak (especially in lettuce wraps!), chimichurri is a versatile condiment that works beyond just a sauce garnish.

Use chimichurri to:

Flavor pasta salads
Upgrade rice bowls
Dress satisfying salads
Marinade meats before or after cooking
Drizzle on pizza
Slather on sandwich bread
Bolster braising liquid

The options are endless. If you need specific recipe recommendations, we put together a list of recipes that could be improved by a spoonful (or three) of the condiment:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Olive oil & ice cream

Even though Dua Lipa created a social media frenzy about the combination, olive oil has always been a natural pairing for desserts, like the timeless olive oil cake, for instance.

Drizzling olive oil on a sweet makes sense for the same 3 reasons olive oil gets drizzled on a pizza, pasta dish, or ricotta toast:

1) Fat transports flavor molecules and keeps them on our tongue for longer, meaning the olive oil allows you to better taste and enjoy all of the sugary flavors of the ice cream.

Learn more about FAT as a cooking molecule.

2) Fat-on-fat combinations make for our favorite dishes. You would think the combination would be overbearing, but it's not:

We dip greasy NY pizza into ranch or garnish with parmesan. A burger patty can have up to 30% fat, but it still tastes better with melted cheese and a slathering of mayo.
Fats can be creamy or unctuous. Combining the two (the creamy dairy plus the raw oil) gives this treat a tantalizing mouthfeel.

Lastly, olive oil provides novelty to an otherwise basic dessert. La Cucina Italiana put it best: “A sweet, creamy treat bathed in earthy, viscous olive oil feels like a grown-up alternative to chocolate syrup and provides an entirely different world of texture, flavor, and health benefits.”

While you’re at it, make sure you’re buying the right kind of olive oil.

READER Q&A 🧠

Is a mortar & pestle worth it?

Question: “What’s up with people still using mortar & pestles? Why not just use a food processor? It’s the 21st century…Thanks!” - Nilen P.

Answer: While you certainly can use a spice grinder, food processor, or even blender for most tasks, there are reasons why advanced home cooks keep a mortar and pestle (or a molcajete) around.

Electric blade tools slice instead of crushing and pulverizing. Spices (and aromatics like ginger and garlic,) get most fragrant when the maximum amount of cell walls are crushed, and their flavor compounds are released. On a molecular level, mortar and pestles crush and destroy more cell walls than a spinning blade that just cuts cleanly through, say garlic, into a tiny mince.

Thus, mortar and pestle junkies argue that the extra elbow grease leads to a more pungent and flavorful dish. But even if that isn’t true, we’d still rather just wipe out my mortar and pestle than have to clean a whole food processor, even if it takes a bit more time on the crushing end.

Plus, mortar & pestles are a lot cheaper and take up less room on the counter. Pick one up or shop our other recommended kitchen equipment here: