2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Ilene V. Smith)
When picking out a wine to eat with steak, our eyes naturally wander over to the red wines — either on a menu, or in the wine store. But with so many different cuts of meat, so many different sauces, and so many different wines, it can be hard to pin down which red will work best. When it comes to pairing wine with chimichurri steak, however, there is one rule of thumb that will steer you in the right direction for this beloved Argentinian dish: If it grows together, it goes together.
And, in Argentina, that can only mean one wine — Malbec. Chimichurri is a simple herbaceous sauce typically made with parsley, oregano, oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, chiles, and shallots. Although its origins are in Argentina, chimichurri is now served throughout South America and in many parts of the world.
As with so many traditional sauces, there are myriad variations and myriad explanations for how the sauce originated. Chimichurri's true origins are unknown . The only constant — other than the parsley base — is that it should be light enough to contrast with the fattiness of the steak yet strong enough to withstand the robust flavor of meat grilled at a high temperature.
A full-bodied wine that holds its own with steak There are a few interesting things to know about Malbec , a grape that originated in France but was brought to Argentina more than 150 years ago and is now grown primarily in the Mendoza region of the country. It is a full-bodied, fruit-forward red wine, reminiscent of blackberry, plum, and black cherry. Malbec is aged in oak and, depending on how long it remains in the oak barrels, can have a delicate to strong tobacco finish.
While chimichurri works well with any steak — and is also a great accompaniment to vegetables, chicken, and fish — it is most often served with a skirt steak, a particularly fatty cut of beef. A lighter bodied, more delicate red wine would be overpowered by the meat. The dark fruit, fuller body, and low acidity of Malbec allows the wine to hold its own.
Argentinian Malbec also has softer tannins than other full-bodied wines, which makes it yield to, rather than fight, the strong flavors of the food. End the meal with another Argentine favorite, dulce de leche, and you may just start humming the tunes from "Evita"..
