EAT

It is now officially summertime! Thought I'd clue you in just in case you've been living in a cave and hadn't noticed the sweltering temperatures outside. With summer in full swing, the BBQ's are firing up everywhere and the smell of burgers, sausages, chicken, chops and steaks are thick in the air much to the dismay of all those vegans out there. Grilling is one of those do-by-rote things and since we all get stuck in a rut from time to time I thought I'd help expand your hori­zons a bit - like all the way south to Tierra Del Fuego.

That means we're going to explore the magic of Chimi­churri - the vibrant parsley-based condiment from way down south Argentina way that will change the way you BBQ for­ever. I like to talk about the two at the same time - BBQing and chimichurri - because they knit together like a silk and cotton blend masterpiece. While you will find myriad uses for this sauce in years to come it's better to let it shine like a star simply at first and there is nothing simpler as a first step than big meaty BBQ beef ribs.

If you've never heard of chimichurri you're not alone. It is not yet common in North America, though it is starting to show up on shelves as a bottled sauce in some specialty gourmet shops (don't bother - it needs to be fresh to shine). However it is so easy to make that buying it pre-made seems a bit daft. Once you make your first batch and work with this stuff you'll keep it in your repertoire guaranteed.

Chimichurri (repeat after me - CHEE-mee-CHUR-ree) is one of those traditional sauces that is always and consistently, yet only slightly different depending on which neighbors' door you walk through. To that end, one of the principle beau­ties of this sauce is it works for all kinds of proteins and easily does double duty as both a grilling sauce and as a marinade. Vibrant and tangy with a stunning array of flavor you really don't need much else to make your family and friends sit up and take extra notice while participating in carnivore-fest. As an additional benefit, smokiness is a natural companion to chimichurri sauce. There is something awesome that hap­pens when the combination comes together - as if every BBQ pleasure center is being satisfied all at the same time.

I tend to make big batches of chimichurri because it is easy and it is a wonderful condiment to have on hand. While it doesn't last too long stored in the refrigerator the acids from the vinegar and lemon helps to keep a sauce fresh for a few days - especially if, like me, you have a bunch of snaplock air-tight plastic containers for storing stuff like this in the fridge. Best way to go is to make a batch on Thursday and you'll have it around for the whole weekend.

Here's the simple and classic base Chimichurri recipe that works perfectly for big meaty beef ribs. Make this the night before so that you can marinade the ribs overnight:

Ingredients:

1 cup of flat leaf parsley - rough chopped & tightly packed

2/3 cup of fresh cilantro - rough chopped & tightly packed

zest of half a lemon

2 to 3 large garlic cloves

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or split between red wine vin­egar and a reduced balsamic for a richer flavor)

1 fresh serrano chili

2 tablespoons capers - drained

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon black pepper corns

Process:

It is best to use a stick blender in a tall container but a food processor works well too - you just need to be careful to not overdo it in the processor by using the pulse setting and spar­ingly at that, instead.

1. Put the garlic, oil, vinegar, chili pepper, capers, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a tall container and use a hand (stick) blender to puree.

2. Slowly add in all the parsley in batches. Once that has been incorporated, add in the cilantro in the same manner. Avoid the temptation to add more liquid! That's it - you've just made your first chimichurri!

For BBQ Beef Ribs:

Take a rack of big beef ribs and cut them apart, or have your local butcher do it (If you are going to cook a lot of ribs it is easy to double or even triple the chimichurri recipe). Dry rub the ribs with a light coating of fine salt and pepper. Wait for 15 minutes, wipe off the salt and pepper and rub down with a generous amount of the chimichurri. Place ribs in a sealable bag, reserving the rest of the chimichurri to use as a condiment. Remove as much of the air as possible before sealing the bag and refrigerate overnight. The next day let the ribs come to room temperature before cooking. Get the grill peak-hot and sear the ribs on all sides to quickly caramelize the outside. Then move your ribs to a medium temperature zone on your grill (the easy method with a gas grill is to turn the gas off on one or two of the burners, or move the coals or wood off to one side and finish cooking away from direct heat. Take your time and allow the ribs to finish cooking slowly. The rewards are amazing!

Sante!