Wholesome Cook
Asian

Chimichurri my way

Taking a leaf out of Frank Sinatra’s song, when it comes to Chimichurri – an Argentinian herb salsa,  I like to do it my way.

I swap the traditional base of parsley out for coriander, because I’m addicted to its fresh lemony flavour and, to be frank, parsley and I have never really been friends. I also prefer to use peanut oil instead of olive oil to protect the delicate balance of flavours in the sauce – olive oil has a tendency to be overpowering at times.

To finish things off I add fish sauce, lime zest and lime juice and voila! The Chimichurri becomes an amazingly fragrant melting pot of tradition with a modern Asian twist. It is irresistibly good as a dipping sauce or a salsa for any type of grilled meat or even seafood and fish, but marries especially well with steak.

Serves 4

Chimichurri my way

The fresh flavours of the salsa go extremely well with any type of grilled meat, fish or even seafood, but marry best with a well-cooked steak.

{Printable recipe}

For the Chimichurri:

  • 3 sprigs coriander
  • 1 red long chilli, seeds removed
  • 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 4 tsp peanut oil
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 lime

To make the chimichurri: chop the whole coriander sprigs and deseeded chilli finely. Place them in a bowl and add crushed garlic, fish sauce, peanut oil, brown sugar and juice of 1/2 lime. Mix well to combine and set aside for 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

To serve: transfer into a serving bowl and serve alongside grilled meats, fish or seafood.

28 comments

Laura (starloz) January 11, 2012 at 12:13 pm

this sounds incredible. spicy & summery

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Mez January 11, 2012 at 12:38 pm

Ohhhhhhhh awesome!!! Like gremolata but totally different, yet can be used in the same way!!! Love it!!! If I could chop things up fine like that then I would make this… Hamish can do it.. but I posses little to NO knife skills. WAH!

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Gaby January 11, 2012 at 1:25 pm

Lovely twist. Although some purists (like Francis Mallman) would say you cannot call it a chimichurri :)

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Wholesome Cook January 11, 2012 at 7:41 pm

Hey Gaby, good point… I’m respectful of the traditional views in mentioning the original ingredients, but prefer the flavour of my Asian version. :-)

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Lizzy (Good Things) January 11, 2012 at 1:46 pm

I could just tuck in to that steak and the spicy topping!

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Joanne Ozug January 11, 2012 at 2:45 pm

This is such a unique take on chimichurri!

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Just A Smidgen January 11, 2012 at 3:35 pm

I love a recipe that can be used elsewhere, this would really make a meal special!

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rsmacaalay January 11, 2012 at 5:45 pm

A perfect sauce for a wonderfully cooked meat!

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Timothy R January 11, 2012 at 7:42 pm

Wow, your steak looks amazingly juicy and the sauce sounds delicious!

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Anne S January 11, 2012 at 7:43 pm

Yummy! I prefer your recipe to the traditional chumichurri also – much more up my alley.

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Sharni January 11, 2012 at 7:44 pm

Oooh lime with steak I would have never thought so but it looks delicious.

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Mel January 11, 2012 at 7:46 pm

Can’t wait to try this on the weekend. Where can I get fish sauce from?

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Wholesome Cook January 12, 2012 at 7:37 am

Hi Mel, you can get it from most supermarkets (I think it’s the Squid brand) in the Asian or Sauce section, or from Asian grocers.

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sara (Belly Rumbles) January 11, 2012 at 10:20 pm

Love your version of chimichurri, being the massive coriander fan that I am. It is always nice to have a twist on the traditional.

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Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide January 12, 2012 at 3:24 am

I really like your way!

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frugalfeeding January 12, 2012 at 3:30 am

Oh yummy – so wonderfully simple and fresh. That makes it perfect for steak! The photos are also delectable :)

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sportsglutton January 12, 2012 at 7:04 am

Chimichurri is a glutton household favorite. Makes some many things taste better. ;-)

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Courtney January 12, 2012 at 7:05 am

I’ve never heard of chimichurri before, but you’ve certainly sold me on your version.

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Bam's Kitchen January 12, 2012 at 7:40 pm

I love the Asian twist. If you still have the grill going, I would like my steak done medium please….Take Care, BAM

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Kay aka Babygirl January 14, 2012 at 5:03 pm

I LOVE what you did with the Chimichurri… it looks simply delicious and amazing. Doing it your way can be so much fun :)

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Karen January 15, 2012 at 12:40 pm

I’m anxious to try your recipe with the fish sauce. I make my chimichurri with cilantro and parsley but the fish sauce will be new.

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Wholesome Cook January 15, 2012 at 1:08 pm

I use it instead of adding salt and since Cafe de Paris butter uses anchovies I thought it would workwell and it did!

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TasteFood January 16, 2012 at 7:54 am

I like how you use fish sauce in place of the anchovies. This sounds wonderful.

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Seven Second Rhapsody February 13, 2012 at 1:48 pm

Yum… I’m never a big fan of parsley too, and coriander’s just the perfect swap! I’ve always loved a little tang on my steak and this sounds perfect

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