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Known as the Latin version of pesto, Chimichurri sauce brings a zesty flavor to grilled meats (or veggies) with little prep and few ingredients. Not only does it add flavor, but it can dress up any grilled meal prepared for a special occasion. The vibrant green color makes this a festive condiment to serve, including any red chili flakes or fresh chopped red or yellow chili pepper used.

Chimichurri sauce has gained popularity in the United States in recent years, while it has had longer culinary use throughout Latin America, particularly in Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisine. Ironically, it was nineteen-century Irishman Jimmy McCurry that is often credited with creating this popular Latin-American condiment. McCurry was apparently traveling with indigenous troops to fight for the country’s independence from Spain when he had been craving Worcestershire sauce, a popular kitchen staple originating from the UK, and begin to experiment with local ingredients for grilled meats.

I began making Chimichurri sauce more recently with making tri-tip a preferred grass-fed meat option over the occasional grass-fed steak in the fall and winter. Two pounds (or four servings) of tri-tip can cost as much as two steaks, which makes tri-tip an economical choice. Tri-tip is also a leaner cut of meat–the triangular cut from the bottom of sirloin–that I find more forgiving when grilling to a desired doneness. Medium is the preference in our household. We start the first evening’s meal by using the two ends and leave the middle section for the next night. This makes a second evening’s leftovers (for two) easy to heat up in a convection toaster oven without too much worry of overcooking the remaining part of this tasty meal. However, if you find your grilled meat slightly on the overcooked side, Chimichurri sauce can help tenderize the meat after the fact.

Seasoning Your Meats Before Grilling

If you’re looking for an easy way to season up a two-pound tri-tip, I simply measure out and stir the following three ingredients listed below into a square Pyrex storage container (for longer seasoning periods) or a plate for immediate grilling. (Note that the former option will render a more tender meat when allowing the salt to weaken the bonds in the protein.) Then, with my hands, I carefully massage the seasoning rub into all sides of the tri-tip. Next, I allow it to season up to 10 hours in the refrigerator before I remove it (at least an hour before grilling). For other smaller cuts of meat, such as skirt steak as shown in the photo, I use a smaller ratio the of the kosher salt and pepper.

1 tablespoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1-1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Ready to Grill to a Medium Doneness?

Then, when I’m ready to grill a tri-tip, I heat up a 10″ square cast iron grill pan on medium heat for about five minutes (just before it starts to smoke) before I throw on the meat. Then, I put the tri-tip on it for 6 minutes on each of the two main sides, with the top on. Next, I do this do this again for another 6 minutes for each side, only this time with the top off. I also like to grill the odd, short sides for about 2 minutes each. When that’s all done, I remove it from the heat and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes before I cut into it. For a skirt steak, I sear it for about 3 minutes on each side and allow it to side for the same amount of time before serving.

If you get a chance to make this recipe, please consider leaving a review. I’d love to hear how it went and if you’d make this a new addition to your grilled or roasted meat and veggie dishes.

Chimichurri Sauce

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Recipe by J. Irish, Ketolicious Eats Cuisine: South + Central AmericaDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Spice up a grilled dish with this simple Chimichurri sauce recipe. With little prep and few ingredients, you can add this tasty splash of color to any grilled meat or roasted veggie dish.

Ingredients

1 bunch 1 Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and leaves chopped finely
1/2 cup 1/2 extra virgin olive oil
.75 ounces .75 or 1 pack of cilantro, chopped finely
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons 1-1/2 to 2 lemon juice (note: red wine vinegar is typically used; however, I find lemon juice to be more easily used in our home and gives a welcomed zesty flavor)
4 cloves 4 garlic cloves
1-1/2 teaspoon 1-1/2 dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon 1/4 Himalayan pink salt
1/4 teaspoon 1/4 black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 to 1/2 red chili flakes (or 1 chopped red or yellow chili, for added heat, is optional); using 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes doesn’t create much heat, but you may use less if you’re sensitive to spicy foods

Directions

Add chopped parsley, cilantro, garlic and spices to a 2-cup glass container (that has a top). Using red chili flakes or one chopped red chili (with seeds removed) is optional.

Note: Red chili flakes will add less heat/spiciness over fresh chopped red chili pepper.
Next, add the extra virgin olive oil and the smaller amount of lemon juice at first. Then, mix the ingredients well. You may decide to add just a touch more lemon juice, if you’d like more of a zesty flavor.
Serve and add a splash of color to your grilled meats or roasted veggies.

This may be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Note: When using this sauce for leftovers, I recommend leaving it out for about an hour to come to room temperature so that the olive has time to liquify rather than remain semi-solid from refrigeration.