As a professional Chef, it is hard to understand why customers go to a Churrasqueria and ask for a sirloin and a bottle of ketchup to go with it. If I could, I would slap them and tell them, “Please, learn how to eat”. Real Chefs hate ketchup and in a churrasco restaurant it is downright insulting. Ketchup can go very well with french fries and hamburgers. Never with sirloin or any type of meat Cooked in a Churrasqueria.
Some customers ask for A1 or other brands of barbecue sauce. They usually believe that they know more about meat than those who order ketchup. I refer to my more than 10 years of experience worldwide working in restaurants of all kinds. Including being a Chef in Barcelona (Spain), Montpellier (France), and now here at the Fogo De Chao Philadelphia. One thing I have clear is that when you eat a good sirloin, or any meat from skewers, the sauce that best suits you is a good homemade Chimichurri. The Chimichurri that I make is one of the best I’ve tried. So, here is my recipe that has been developed over many years to a good Chimichurri.
Ingredients To A Good Chimichurri:
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Of Red Bell Pepper.
- 1 Tablespoon Of Chopped Garlic.
- ¼ Tablespoon Of Oregano.
- 1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar.
- 1/2 Quart Of Chopped Parsley.
- 3/4 Cup Of Olive Oil.
- 1/2 Tablespoon Of Kosher Salt.
You have to chop the garlic, oregano, parsley, and red bell pepper all together. Mix them together in a bowl and add extra virgin olive oil and white vinegar and salt to taste. I personally always have a piece of bread to try. I leave it to my taste (as we all have different tastes, everyone can add or remove some ingredient to taste),then mix everything together. You can enjoy a good sirloin with finished Chimichurri. Do not forget to stir the juices always before using it. That it mixes well and we can enjoy all the ingredients and all its flavor at the same time. It has a shelf life of 3 or 4 days. On the second or third day the flavor is more intense, thats when it’s really good.
Daniel Miller
Head Chef at Fogo De Chao