Chimichurri

The sauce shows up by name in late-19th-century Argentine and Uruguayan cooking, almost certainly Basque-immigrant influenced (parsley-and-garlic salsa verde traditions from the Iberian north). Theories about an Irish "Jimmy McCurry" or English "Jimmy Curry" are folk etymology with no documentation. By the 1920s it was the standard table sauce at the parrilla across both sides of the Río de la Plata.

Late-19th-century Argentina and Uruguay; almost certainly Basque-immigrant lineage from Iberian parsley-and-garlic salsa verdes. The Jimmy McCurry folk etymology is unsupported. Hand-chop, never blend — a food processor bruises parsley and the sauce turns grassy.

An oil-and-vinegar emulsion broken on purpose: chopped flat-leaf parsley, garlic, dried oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, sometimes a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bright green, loose, never blended smooth. Spooned over grilled meat at the table, and also commonly used as a marinade. Tastes garlic-forward, herbal, sharp from the vinegar; the oil carries it across the meat.

Chimichurri is supposed to be broken, not blended. The herbs need to be hand-chopped — a food processor bruises parsley and turns the sauce into baby-food paste that tastes grassy and bitter. The vinegar and oil should sit in a loose suspension so each spoonful lands distinct: oil-coated meat, then a pop of vinegar acid, then garlic. Letting it rest for a few hours lets the flavors marry without homogenizing.