Michelle’s Chimichurri: “My Secret? Never Use a Food Processor”

This recipe for chimichurri has taken me years to develop just the right balance of acid, salt and herbs, says Michelle Ezratty Murphy, one of our favorite Latino-food homecooks. ”My secret is to never use a food processor. Instead, I mince the cilantro and parsley to a pulp.” She chops and chops until all the ingredients are practically liquified, she says. ”I’ve been known to pass my 8-inch chef’s knife across the cutting board 200 to 300 times, to get just the right texture of the herbs, garlic and onions.”

Michelle and her family use this Argentinian sauce on all sorts of dishes. ”If you’ve never had the pleasure of spooning chimichurri over a medium-rare Argentinian cut of beef called churrasco, then you are missing out,” she says. ”It’s also really versatile: We drizzle it over carne or cheese empanadas, grilled chicken or fish, or even as a marinade for skewered vegetables when they come off the grill”

MIchelle’s recipe, unusually, adds a spice not typically seen in chimichurri. ”You’ll notice I also use cilantro in my sauce,” she says. ”Cilantro is not a very traditional ingredient in chimichurri, but over time I’ve slowly added it into my recipe and have grown to love it.”

This is a new family recipe that starts with me. I hope to pass onto my kids and family members. I’m honored to share my chimichurri with the Familia Kitchen community!

To sample more Argentinian recipes, check out our go-to parillero Chris’ insider’s guide to the asado, which includes how to grill the cuts of beef, pork and organs, as well as the sides of guarniciones, including whole potatoes and onions charred right on the embers.

And if you are curious about chimichurri recipes, check out the this winning entry to Familia Kitchen’s Your Favorite Chimichurri Recipe Contest.

Ready to Make Michelle’s Chimichurri Recipe?

Michelle’s Chimichurri—Chopped 200 to 300 Times for the Perfect Texture

Recipe by Michelle Ezratty Murphy

4.5 from 6 votes

Cuisine: Argentinian

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bunch flat or curly parsley, minced

• 1 bunch cilantro, minced

• 2 scallions, minced

• 4 large cloves garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbsp sherry wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

• Wash the parsley and cilantro well. Shake dry, then pat with a paper towel to absorb as much moisture as possible.
• On a cutting board, lay the parsley and cilantro together. Remove the leaves from most of the stems. Toss any stems that look too thick or stiff.
• Time to chop. Run your knife back and forth across the herb leaves, until they are minced into a thick pulp consistency. With your knife or bench scraper, place the herbs into a large glass measuring cup. I like to use glass because herbs can take on a bitter flavor when mixed in a steel bowl. Glass measuring cup because it is narrower than a glass bowl. The narrower the vessel, the better the ingredients meld together when packed tightly.
• Wash 2 scallions and mince the same way. Add to your glass cup with the herbs.
• Peel the garlic and mince. When you’re just about done mincing it, sprinkle salt over the garlic and run your knife through the tiny pieces again. Add the garlic to the cup.
• Into your cup with the herbs, scallions and garlic, pour the liquids: olive oil, sherry wine vinegar and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Add the dried oregano, salt and black pepper. Give it one last good stir and taste for salt and pepper.
• If the chimichurri tastes too acidic, pour in another ¼ cup of olive oil.
• Let your chimichurri sit for at least two hours and even overnight before serving. Resting will infuse the olive oil and give it a deeper flavor.
• It’s ready! Spoon over grilled meat, chicken or fish.

Notes

• When chopping the parsley and cilantro, after you remove the leaves from the stems, make sure that none of the remaining stems are overly thick or stalk-y. These can become bitter.
• I like to use glass because herbs can take on a bitter flavor when they are mixed in a steel bowl. This recipe calls for a glass measuring cup because a cup is narrower than a glass bowl. The narrower the vessel, the better the ingredients meld together when mixed—and the better the flavor.