Chimichurri

Not to be confused with the Dominican dish chimichurris.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃimiˈtʃuri]) or Chimmichurri is a variant of green sauce, though there is a red version as well^{[citation needed]}, also used as a marinade, for grilled meat. It is originally from Argentina^[1][2], but is also used in Uruguay, and in countries as far north as Nicaragua, Colombia and Mexico.^[3]

Etymology

The word chimichurri or chirriburri is attested in 1783 as a person's nickname, making all the fanciful etymologies below unlikely, but it is unclear how the nickname is related to the food.^[4]

There are various fanciful etymologies for the word. One story claims that it comes from 'Jimmy McCurry', an Irishman who is said to have first prepared the sauce. He was marching with the troops of General Belgrano in the 19th century, sympathetic to the cause of Argentine independence. The sauce was popular and the recipe was passed on. However, 'Jimmy McCurry' was difficult for the native people to say. Some sources claim Jimmy's sauce's name was corrupted to 'chimichurri', while others say it was changed in his honor.^[5]

Other similar stories involve Jimmy Curry, an English meat importer; a Scot, James C. Hurray, travelling with gauchos; and an English family in Patagonia overheard by the group of Argentinians that were with them while saying "give me the curry". All the stories share an English speaking colonist and the corruption of names or words by the local population.

The Argentine gourmet Miguel Brascó claims that the word chimichurri originated when the British were captured after England tried to invade the Spanish colony of Argentina. The prisoners asked for condiment for their food mixing English, aboriginal and Spanish (castilian) words. Che-mi-curry stands for "che mi salsa" (dame condimento) or "give me curry". Later "che-mi-curry" corrupted to chimichurri.^{[citation needed]}

Preparation

Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, vegetable oil or sunflower oil, white or red vinegar, and red pepper flakes.^[6] Additional flavorings such as paprika (pimenton dulce), oregano, cumin, thyme, coriander leaf (cilantro), lemon, and bay leaf (laurel), and in the red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat. Chimichurri is available bottled or dehydrated for preparing with oil and water.

See also

• Cuisine of Argentina
• Cuisine of Nicaragua
• Cuisine of Uruguay

References

1. ^ Dictionary of Spanish (twenty-second edition), Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española), 2001
2. ^ Lomax Brooks, p. 82
3. ^ http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/grilln/Basic_Chimichurri.html Basic Chimichurri: The Best Basic Chimichurri Recipe from Cook'n
4. ^ Francisco Viñals, ed., "Diario, de la Secretaria del Virreynato de Santa Fee de Bogotá (Año de 1783), 1904, p. 19 Google Books
5. ^ The Argentine Connection, article on grilled salmon, by Bob Kenly
6. ^ [chimichurri-recipe/ Chimichurri Recipe: Asado Uruguay]

External links

• Chimichurri Recipe Instructions on how to make chimichurri sauce.

Bibliography

• Template:Quote from a book