I had a plethora of fresh parsley and cilantro from my CSE crop-share, and was thinking that a chimichurri steak sauce (an Argentinean steak sauce made from parsley, olive oil and garlic) was a great way to use my supply. I planned on making skirt steak with chimichurri but my local market was out of that cut so I picked up some ground beef instead and made Chimichurri burgers by adding some of the sauce to the beef before making them into patties. The result was a super moist and flavorful burger that we all enjoyed. I served sauteed swiss chard on the side, and a salad tossed with some of the leftover chimichurri. We snacked on aged manchego, fig paste and crackers while the burgers cooked, and finished with salted caramel ice cream (reminiscent of dulce de leche). It was a wonderful, vegetable-heavy summer meal. To make these burgers into cheese burgers, slice some manchego and melt it ontop.
Chimichurri Burgers
1 C. flat-leaf Italian parsley (packed)
¼ C. fresh cilantro (packed)
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 C. red wine vinegar
1 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 of tsp +1/8 of tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef
4 hamburger bums or whole-grain rolls
4 leaves of lettuce
4 oz manchego cheese (optional)
1. Prepare chimichurri: Combine ingredients in food processor and puree. Sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated (bring to room temperature before serving).
2. Add 1/2 of the chimichurri to the beef and mix with hands to combine. Divide meat into 4 even portions and shape into patties, pressing a divet into the middle of each burger.
3. Heat grill, grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Cook burgers, divet side up for about 4-5 minutes for medium rare, then flip and cook on remaining side for additional 3-4 minutes. Top with cheese, if using, close grill or place lid over pan and melt cheese (about 1 minute). Serve burgers on buns with lettuce and set of leftover chimichurri sauce as a topping.
