Simple 3-Step Chimichurri & Grilled Steak Kabobs Recipe
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
You may be reading this recipe’s title and think “simple & chimichurri are two words that don’t seem to go together”. But trust me, this 3-step chimichurri really is simple ((spoiler alert – one of the steps is rinsing the herbs)). The ease & versatility of this sauce makes it the perfect addition to any tailgate menu! Whether you are craving fish tacos or steak kabobs, this flavor-packed chimichurri is certain to be a crowd pleaser.
Before breaking down the 3-step chimichurri process, let me first explain what a chimichurri actually is. A traditional chimichurri sauce contains primarily parsley, a smaller amount of cilantro, fresh garlic, olive oil, some red pepper, red wine vinegar and S & P to taste. If you do a quick search, you’ll find countless variations – some include oregano, some use mostly cilantro, some insist all ingredients must be hand chopped, just to name a few.
But the basic idea for this sauce remains consistent :: it’s primarily made up of fresh herbs, with a little splash of something sour & a pop of heat combined with oil. It can be used as a marinade for beef, fish, chicken or pork, a dipping sauce or even as a topper over something as commonplace as cheese and crackers. The possibilities are limitless.
For my version of chimichurri, I used a few extra herbs (in addition to the parsley and cilantro):
- oregano
- rosemary
- chives
- basil
- mint
I also replaced the red wine vinegar with lemon juice + lemon zest. Because I prefer the neutral flavor of canola oil over olive oil for marinades, I replaced the olive oil with canola oil.
Once the herbs are rinsed and patted dry, remove & discard all of the woody stems. Speaking of herbs, feel free to add or omit from the list of herbs I used. That’s the beauty of making your own sauce :: you are the boss of the ingredients. If you’ll take a closer look at the picture below, you’ll notice that I elected to include the herb blossoms in this sauce. Let’s just call that another perk of being the boss. Herb blossoms are totally edible and aren’t noticeable in the finished sauce – but they sure make for pretty pictures.
Place all the herbs and remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until all the the herbs are roughly chopped and the mixture is combined.
Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. And there you have it: my 3-step Chimichurri ((Wash – Prep – Chop)).
To use as a marinade, add about ¾ c of the chimichurri to 2 pounds of protein (refrigerate the remaining sauce for later uses). Depending on the type of protein, marinade 2 hours up to over night. For these steak kabobs, I marinated 2 pounds of sirloin steak (cubed) for approximately 5 hours.
Once grilling was complete, I served the reserved chimichurri as a dipping sauce with the kabobs. Isn’t that bright green such a gorgeous color?
The medley of herbs, combined with the lemony zing and that little pop of heat from the red pepper flakes, really did come together to form the perfect bite.
- 1 bunch, flat leaf Italian parsley (about 1½ c)
- 1 bunch, cilantro (about 1½ c)
- 1 3" sprig (3 T fresh), rosemary
- 3 - 4 6" sprigs (3 T fresh), thyme
- 2 3" sprigs (2 T fresh), oregano
- 25 basil leaves
- 25 mint leaves
- 3 T fresh chives, chopped
- 3 t kosher salt
- 2 t ground black pepper
- 2 t crushed red pepper*
- 2 cloves garlic
- juice of one lemon
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1 c canola
- Rinse and pat dry all herbs. Remove & discard all of the woody stems.
- Place all the herbs and remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until all the the herbs are roughly chopped and the mixture is combined.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- To use as a marinade, add about ¾ c of the chimichurri to 2 pounds of protein (refrigerate the remaining sauce for later uses). Depending on the type of protein, marinade 2 hours up to over night. For these steak kabobs, I marinated 2 pounds of sirloin steak (cubed) for approximately 5 hours.
- *more or less to taste.
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