Flank Steak with Chimichurri

We’ve got a Dantastic recipe for you today with this Flank Steak with Chimichurri sauce! Juicy flank steak combined with flavor packed chimichurri sauce to create an mouthwatering meal that will have you droolin’ for seconds. Dan-O’s Crunchy and Dan-O’s Original give this chimichurri a kick of that Yum Yum Get Ya Sum in every bite! If you want to do it like Uruguay, replace original with Dan-O’s Spicy Seasoning!

The History of Chimichurri

Chimichurri is Argentinie in its origins, typically composed of finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, and white vinegar but there are many regional variations. For example, Uruguay’s variation includes red pepper flakes. Most linguists believe the name comes from Basque’s tximitxurri, pronounced chee-mee-choo-ree. This roughly translates to “a mix of several things in no particular order”. However there are other stories that make a claim for the name.

One story is that the name comes from “Jimmy’s curry”, Jimmy was an Englishman who joined the fight for Argentine Independence. His name was difficult for locals to pronounce, and morphed into chimichurri. Another is that it comes from the British’s failed invasion of Rio De La Plata in 1806. When the British soldiers were taken prisoner, they requested condiments for their food. The mixture of English and Spanish melded together to form the word, Chimichurri.

The actual dish was believed to come from Sicily’s Salmoriglio sauce, which was normally used on seafood. Most Food historians believe that chimichurri was invented by gauchos to flavor meat cooked over open fires.

4 popular misconceptions about Chimichurri

1. Chimichurri is not pesto. They do look similar, but they have very distinct flavors. Pesto contains basil, olive oil, garlic, nuts, and cheese. Meanwhile Chimichurri contains oil, water, vinegar, parsley and other assorted herbs and veggies with some spices blended in. Pesto is for pasta, chimichurri is for grilled meats.
2. It’s not Argentine Ketchup. Argentines use ketchup just like any other nation. However you don’t see people just layering ketchup on most meats, that’s where chimichurri comes in.
3. It’s not a marinade. Well it can be, but for the most part it’s flavoring for grilled meats.
4. It’s not pureed herbs. Pureeing herbs, veggies, and spices does not make a chimichurri. Think of it like Mayo. Mayo is an emulsion of blended oils, egg, and lemon or vinegar. However, not all mixtures containing oils are mayo. Just like throwing cilantro, limes, tomatillos, avocados, and chipotles into a blender.