Chimichurri Sauce

I love this parsley-only version of chimichurri, which is based in its simplicity on a recipe I clipped from Gourmet years and years ago. It is basic and fantastic, sharply herbal and mouth-wateringly green, with just enough vinegar to balance out the richness of, say, a perfectly grilled steak. But it is excellent with grilled anything: steak, chicken, fish, tofu. It is also a great condiment for sandwiches (it makes a sublime mayonnaise), and a little stirred into a pasta or grain salad is fantastic.

I salt steak very heavily before grilling, and so I actually undersalt this sauce a bit. Add more to your liking. Also, the sauce can thicken while it sits -- almost like it's gelling, strangely -- so you may want to stir more oil or vinegar into it as you like.

Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

1 large bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup really good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
A large pinch of dried red-pepper flakes (optional)

1. Cut the large stems off the bunch of parsley, then submerge the leaves (along with all of its smaller stems -- I am not picky about this!) in a sinkful of cold water, then spin it dry in a salad spinner.
2. Combine the parsley with the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and whir until pureed. If it resists pureeing (maybe you had an extra-large bunch of parsley?), add more oil and vinegar, proportionately -- enough to make a sauce-like consistency, and taste for salt.

Read more about Catherine making Chimichurri Sauce with her family.

See all recipes from Catherine Newman's "Dalai Mama Dishes" blog.