A while ago, an elderly neighbor entered the elevator that I was in. She covered her mouth and apologized for her garlicky breath. She then went on to tell me how she had just eaten a chicken dish that she regularly makes. I love the wisdom of my elders so I took a mental note of how she prepared her chimichurri sauce recipe – with olive oil, garlic, fresh parsley and cilantro.
My husband Reggie really likes cilantro, so I decided to make the marinade for my family. Since I had already cooked chicken the night before, I tested it out on pork…the other white meat. Everyone in my home – including my “selective eater” Sean – enjoyed the flavored pork.
When I tasted it, I was reminded of a green chimichurri sauce (minus the vinegar). This great-tasting dish is perfect for the summer. In any event, it’s definitely worth a little garlic breath!
Garlicky Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
My Neighbor’s Chimichurri Style Pork Chop Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 cloves (sections) raw garlic (peeled and chopped)
- 3 tbsps olive oil (I used extra light.)
- 1 tbsp water
- 4 pork chops (I used thin, center cut ones.)
- Seasoned salt and black pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Blend the parsley, cilantro, garlic, and olive oil together in the container of a food processor for 20 seconds.
- Add the water to the container and blend everything for 20 more seconds. Set the marinade aside.
- Season the pork chops with the seasoned salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Rub the marinade all over the pork chops and place them in a container (or plastic bag) to marinate in the refrigerator. (At minimum, leave the marinade on for 30 minutes. For maximum flavor, leave it on overnight.)
- Cook the pork chops using your desired method. I grilled my chops for 5 minutes on each side using my counter grill. (For safety reasons, be sure that the internal temperature of the pork is at least 160º F when using a cooking or meat thermometer.)
