Argentine Steak Sauce: Origins of Chimichurri

Salsa chimichurri, two words that roll off the tongue and are ever present at any authentic Argentine steak dinner.  Upon researching the history of this traditional condiment from Argentina I discovered some wildly imaginative reasons for its existence, as well as the origin of its name.

Argentina is well known for its beef.  Along with colonization the Spanish settlers also brought with them cattle and thus the beef-centered cuisine of Argentina was born.  As the story goes, these Argentine cowboys a.k.a gauchos wandered the lands living as nomads, slaughtering the cattle and cooking the fresh meat over an open flame.  Obviously at this time popping over to the local supermarket for some A1 steak sauce wasn’t an option and so in living such a minimalist lifestyle one has to adapt and make due with what is available.  Originally chimichurri probably consisted of dried parsley and oregano as well as some garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.  Today, however, chimichurri recipes vary greatly.

Now to the name, here’s where the story gets a bit fuddled.  My favorite that I’ve heard so far is that it was created from a mixture of English, aboriginal and Spanish words.  After the British invasions of Rio de la Plata the prisoners are said to have asked for a condiment for their food.  According to the story what they said was “che-mi-curry” which in rough translation is hey give me condiment.  Others claim that the sauce name can be attributed to an English or Irish soldier named Jimmy who joined in the fight for Argentine independence.  His sauce was called Jimmy’s curry, which was difficult for Spanish speakers to pronounce, and so it became chimichurri.  Another possibility, suggested by Steven Raichlen, is that the term was derived from the Basque word “tximitxurri”.   This word loosely translates to “a mixture of several things in no particular order”.  Due to the fact that there is a Basque presence in Argentina and they are well known animal herders it’s probably fair to assume that this is the most logical and probable of all three stories.

So what’s so fantastic about chimichurri? This savory sauce will not only fill your kitchen with the rich aroma of fresh herbs and spices but it will send your taste buds into a fit of ecstasy.  This easy to make herbaceous salsa will earn you some serious culinary cred and there’s no real cooking involved!  Next time you’re looking for a quick addition to practically any meal I highly recommend throwing together a quick batch of chimichurri.  I can guarantee that your guests will be raving about how fantastically fresh and flavorful it was.

 

Argentine Beef Cuts vs American Beef Cuts

If any of you have ever lived in, been to or at least heard about Argentina, you will be aware of the famously high quality steak. The steak cuts are slightly different to what you will come across in your favorite BBQ house in the States! Although the quality of the meat may not differ too much from meat of a Texas BBQ, but Argentines’ really have it down to a T the art of how to grill and salt a steak.

Steak House in the USA

A classic style steak house in the United States can’t be beaten by much. But if you should come down to Argentina, getting to a parilla out of the city or even a parrilla in the city is a must do. (However, please don’t confuse this with a traditional Argentine asado, which is not to be found anywhere in the city for visitors, it only happens at the homes of Argentines).

La Cabrera is a well known ‘parrilla’or steakhouse in Buenos Aires.

Below is a picture highlighting the cuts of beef used generally in the US and other regions such as the UK.

As you can see, the area around the neck is divided into more parts.

The (roughly and most common) five different types of steaks you will see in Argentina are Bife de Lomo (tenderloin). Entrana (skirt steak), Asado de tira (short ribs), Vacio (flank steak) and Bife de chorizo (sirloin). There are several other beef cuts that we will write about over the coming days and months, but these are the principal players.

The Bife de Lomo is the most expensive cut, it’s big, tender and juicy. Lomo is a must try at least once, but can often lack a bit of flavour. It is also, ironically, the absolute least Argentine cut of beef. You will basically never find this at any real Argentine asado specifically because it is rather flavorless. Where you will find it is in “milanesas” which is schnitzel or “chicken fried steak”, which is a very common lunch and dinner food in Argentina. It is also a cut that is considered beef for children since it is soft and easy to cut and chew. How ironic!

 

La Entraña

The Entrana is not as large as lomo or bife de chorizo, so is a great choice if you don’t think you’ll finish off a larger option. This is a favorite among the Argentines’ and is a more flavorful, thinner cut of meat. Not the most tender of cuts, between a lomo and a matambre.

The Asado de tira, or ribs, is where you will also see another main difference to the states. In Argentina, the ribs are cut a lot shorter. They are packed full with flavour and are nice and crispy. This is *the* cut of Argentine beef, and can be found at our little Steak events that we do here in Buenos Aires.

The Vacio, or flank steak, probably won’t be found outside of Argentina/Uruguay. This cut will have a coating of fat on the outside, but none on the inside. When cooked to perfection the fat goes crispy and keeps the inside tender and juicy.

The Bife de Chorizo is big a juicy with tasty exterior fat. Just make sure you get it in a good place. as a cheap Bife de Chorizo will be fatty and not so worth it.

A Matambre is another Argentine meat that is popular in Argentina. However is renowned for it’s toughness. So get your jaw prepared!

No matter which cut of Argentine beef you choose, it will certainly be a memorable experience!

 

Best Buenos Aires Steakhouses: El Primo, Las Canitas

On the corner of Baez and Arevalo streets, there are 3 restaurants. ALL OF THEM ARE PARRILLAS (steakhouses)!! How is this possible? Well Argentines are obsessed with beef. As you know from reading this blog, the tradition of steak, beef, chorizo, morcilla, chinchunlin — anything that comes from a cow – in Argentina is tied closely to the cultural history of the country. In Argentina, you have the 8th largest country in the world geographically, with the 2nd largest expanse of fertile plains in the world (outside of the USA), which lends itself to a lot of free range cattle, grazing in open pastures.

In the city of Buenos Aires, where 1/3 of the entire population of the country lives (about 13 million people, the whole country being 40 million), now portenios hang out at neighborhood parrillas and eat their hearts out (not so figuratively).

That corner in Las Canitas is exemplary of the restaurant industry of the country: not a lot of variety but what they do have they do really well.

On this corner is one of my favorite local parrilla joints called El Primo. El Primo is on a corner with a wide sidewalk and ample indoor seating. It is not really a site to look at in terms of decor or ambiance. The ambiance is rather plain. But when this place heats up with hungry portenios around 930pm on any night of the week, you are sure to feel the ambiance change. In the summertime, when Argentines are more inclined to go out and sit outside, all of the outside seating will be full at the latest by 9pm (this is the equivalent of 5:30pm for dinner in the USA). The greatest part about this place is the outdoor seating because it is right across from Campobravo (another parrilla) and La Fonda del Polo (yes, the 3rd parrilla on this street corner). Both of those Buenos Aires restaurants also have outdoor seating, and since Baez street is virtually pedestrian only, you get hundreds of people on these corners either seated and eating, waiting in line, or walking by, or slowly cruising by. It is a site and a great way to meet locals as it is not really a tourist hotspot.

So that’s the ambiance, and I really have not found a place that beats it because this is quintessential Buenos Aires, Argentina: tons of people outside, socializing, hanging out, chatting, eating and drinking.

What about the food?

As you get in any Buenos Aires steakhouse, there are all of the classic cuts of beef: tira de asado (short ribs), bife de lomo (filet steak or filet mignon), bife de chorizo (porterhouse), vacio (flank steak) and my personal favorite when I go there, colita de cuadril (rump steak or tri-tip). Here at El Primo they cook the whole cut as one piece, which is usually bigger than a kilogram of meat, so it is plenty for 2 or 3 people to share, since it also comes with a batata (sweet potato) and grilled bell peppers.

Be sure to ask for it to come “bien jugoso” as always because in traditional Argentine fashion, they will over cook it if left to their own devices! Remember you can always send it back for more cooking if it comes out too red for you.

Their Argentine wine list is also decent with selections from Las Perdices, Ricardo Santos and San Pedro de Yacochuya and they actually have good wine storage as well.

The service is excellent if you know the wait staff and the hosts but can be slow… but why would you be in a hurry if you are eating Argentine steak! You should be planning on spending at least 2-3 hours sitting, eating, sipping and people watching.

Buen Provecho!