Both these recipes demonstrate Argentina’s connection with Italian cuisine. Italian-style cheeses such as provolone are made throughout the country. Chimichurri is a riff on the classic Italian salsa verde. It’s wonderful, not only on grilled beef, but on other grilled meats and poultry as well. It also makes a tasty salad dressing
GRILLED PROVOLONE
Aged Provolone, either in whole rounds or cut in half, sliced ½ inch thick Vegetable oil for the grill Extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground pepper Dried oregano leaves (not ground)
Plan on about 2-4 oz. of cheese per person, depending on what else is served. Preheat either a charcoal or gas grill to high. Brush the slices of cheese lightly on both sides with some of the oil and sprinkle with a little pepper. Just before cooking, oil the grill grates and then put the cheese slices directly on the grate. Cook until the bottoms of the cheese are browned and bubbly, about 2 minutes or a little longer, depending on the heat of your grill. The cheese should not be completely melted. Gently tease the cheese off the grill with prongs and a spatula and turn over. Sprinkle the top of the slices with some of the oregano and continue to grill until the bottom is the same doneness as the top, again about 2 or so minutes. Serve immediately.
The cheese may be served alone, or on top of slices of crusty bread. Either way, it can be served by itself as an appetizer or accompanied by a salad tossed with a simple vinaigrette.
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
4 c. loosely packed flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 T. coarsely chopped garlic, or more or less to taste
4 small scallions, chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
1/3 c. red or white wine vinegar, plus additional if desired
1 stalk celery, coarsely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed but not seeded, chopped, or substitute hot pepper flakes to taste, optional
6 T. water
1 tsp. Kosher or sea salt, plus additional if needed
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, or more or less to taste
1 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of sugar, optional
Place all the ingredients in the container of an electric blender or food processor except the oil and blend until all the ingredients are just combined. Add the oil in a stream, then pulse until the mixture is thoroughly mixed, but stopping before it becomes completely puréed. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, vinegar and a little sugar if needed. Let stand at least an hour before serving. The Chimichurri will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Makes 2-plus cups. Adapted from a recipe in Barbeque Bible, by Steven Raichlan.
