Chillin and Grillin

I am taking a break from the Mediterranean tour today. I am in a serious grilling mood and a grilled Chimichurri covered steak sounds good to me. This sauce also works well with skewered grilled shrimp. Grill some up with a steak for a tasty surf and turf. Marinade the beef for 2 hours, and the shrimp for 1 hour, grill and serve with more sauce.

Chimichurri is a pesto style sauce and marinade used with grilled meat in Argentina and Uruguay It is usually the only seasoning used for steak and chorizo sausages in Argentine asados. It can also be used as a marinade for any kind of grilled meat.

Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh Lime juice
• 1/2 cup minced fresh Cilantro
• 6 cloves crushed Garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped or crumbled fresh or 1 teaspoon dried Oregano.
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 minced Shallots
• 1 teaspoon minced Basil, Thyme or Oregano, or mixture
• Kosher Salt and Course ground Black Pepper to taste

Preparations

1. Puree all ingredients in food processor.
2. Reserve 1/4 of a cup for use as a marinade.
3. Transfer remaining sauce to a bowl.
4. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Some Thoughts on Brining

I have been busy recently doing some research into brining meats. This new mania started out with an experiment on brining wild game. Some of the most well known brined meats are corn beef and pastrami. For lean meats such as pork and venison it can add a lot of juiciness to the cut of meat.

Ok... So just what is the difference between brining and marinating? Both are a wet precooking process; each method has it's special usage. So I counted off the various items that are needed for each method. In the end it looks like a question of Ph whether you use an Acid or a Base.

Brines versus Marinades

Brining

Is the process of soaking meat in a saline solution. The brine solution permeates throughout the meat to enhance moisture. Other spices can be added to the saline solution to impart flavor. Whether or not the spices impart any significant flavor is debated by some. The primary ingredients used for a brine are water, salt, sugar, and spices.

Marinating

Is the process of soaking meat in an acidic solution, typically a vinegar and oil solution. Other spices are usually added to the solution to impart flavor. The meat is tenderized by the acid breaking down the cell structure of the meat. The primary ingredients used for a marinade are an acidic liquid, oil, sugar, and salt.

Brining Information Sites

• http://bbq.about.com/od/brinerecipes/
• http://www.bbq-porch.org/brining00.asp
• http://www.bbqlodge.com/brine/brine.htm
• http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/brine.html