Chimi that Churri

Mike was the star last night with a big piece of meat and his grill! This is an adaptation of a Williams-Sonoma recipe. The original called for ribeye steaks and sherry vinegar, but we had pinot noir vinegar and a 4 pound beef tenderloin, so we adapted.

Probably the most difficult part of the whole thing (well, to me at least - Mike wisely does not trust me with an open flame, so the grilling was all his work) was a lot of chopping. Thinking back, I probably could have done the marinade in the food processor, but what's the fun in that?

2/3 cup pinot noir vinegar

Dash of cooking sherry

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

7 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3/4 teaspoon salt

3-4 pound beef tenderloin, untrimmed

1. In a glass bowl, combine all ingredients except the tenderloin.
2. Whisk together to combine well.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chimichurri.
4. Put the tenderloin in a shallow, nonreactive dish just large enough to hold the meat.
5. Pour the chimichurry on top and turn to coat evenly.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.
7. Remove meat from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.
8. Heat grill to about 450 and cook until medium-rare, turning to ensure even cooking.
9. Brush with the chimichurri when turning.

Per WS's Essentials of Grilling:

"Chimichurri, a deceptively simple mixture of parsley, garlic, oil, and vinegar, is the melodic name of a classic marinade-sauce of Argentina, a country famous for its beef. Like most dishes, chimichurri depends on quality ingredients, so be slective and look for crisp, dark green flat-leaf parsley with a peppery fragrance, and choose garlic that is firm and umblemished."

Though so far this is my favorite way to cook red meat, I like just plain peppered beef too. I guess that's why the peppery parsley tastes so great on it!