Churrasco with Green Chimichurri Sauce

Churrasco is a Portuguese and Spanish term referring to beef or grilled meat, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a principal ingredient in many Latin American countries.

Chimichurri Sauce is a thick herb sauce that is as common in Argentina as ketchup is in the United States. Typical Chimichurri is a mélange of olive oil, vinegar and finely chopped parsley, oregano, onion and garlic, cilantro, all seasoned with salt, cayenne and black pepper.

Green Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup salmuera (3 teaspoons kosher salt dissolved into 1 cup water)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 2 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 package of fresh cilantro
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chart Spanish sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced

  • 1 center cut beef tenderloin

    Instructions:

    Add salmuera, oregano, parsley, garlic, and olive oil to food processor and pulse several times until well blended. Add spices and white vinegar and pulse a couple times again. Transfer to bowl, and stir in red wine vinegar and then fold in diced roasted peppers.

    Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, cut the tenderloin lengthwise into 4 flat, even slices. Place each slice between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to a thickness of ~1/4-inch. Arrange the steaks on top of the chimichurri in the baking dish, and then pour another quarter of the chimichurri on top. Reserve the rest of the chimichurri for serving as a dipping sauce. Cover and marinate the meat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring beef to room temperature before grilling.

    Set up the grill for direct grilling. Arrange the beef slices on the grate on the diagonal and grill until cooked to taste, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare, rotating the slices 90 degrees after 1 minute to create crosshatched grill marks. Transfer the churrasco to plates or a platter and serve the remaining chimichurri sauce on the side as a dipping sauce. Cut the churrasco against the grain in thin slices.

    Thanks Mac for sharing this recipe. We all enjoyed it at one of our wine dinners, it was delish!