Fire Grilled Beef Tri-Tip w/ Chimichurri

Beef Tri-Tip Roast w/ Chimichurri Sauce
I discovered Chimichurri Sauce several years ago in a Steven Raichlen's "Barbeque Bible". This sauce is a traditional marinade and condiment in Argentina and can be used on steaks, pork, sausage and even grilled chicken. This sauce a definitely a cousin of Genovese Pesto or French Persillade.
Chimichurri has a wonderful fresh herb quality, but it also has an addictive piquant component...heat with a great acidity.
Last night I fired up the grill and cooked a Tri-Tip Beef Roast. I love this cut as it is a less expensive piece of meat and if you grill it, then cut it on the bias the flavor and tenderness is outstanding. In my book the Tri-Tip is second only to the Rib-eye for flavor.
The recipe below is one I have adapted from Steven's. I like adding cilantro to the mix, though that may actually throw this sauce into the Chilean Pebre (whatever, this version kicks butt) category. Anyway, this is a good introduction to this sauce and the variations are endless.

Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Bunch Italian Flat Leaf Parsley-leaves and tender stems
1 Bunch Cilantro-leaves and tender stems
1/4 White Onion rough chopped
8 Garlic Cloves rough chopped
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, or more to taste
1 tsp. Dried Oregano or 1 Tbsp. Fresh
1 Jalapeno -rough chop, I added the seeds for some more heat
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
Throw the garlic and onions into a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Next add the salt, oregano, jalapeno and pulse the food processor again. Next, add the vinegar and water through the drizzle tube on the top of the processor. Add the cilantro and parsley last as you want the sauce to have some chunks to it. Add the olive oil to the drizzle tube and pulse intermittently until everything is incorporated. Season to taste-I love more heat and more vinegar.

Grilled Mixed Vegetable Salad
What I love to do when I am grilling meat is to also do some kind of grilled vegetable salad. This salad had roasted corn, grilled tomatoes (just big enough to not fall through the grate on the BBQ), onions (grilled yellow, and raw red), asparagus, zucchini and a handful of arugula. I tossed this with a red wine vinaigrette and it matched nicely with the rare Tri-Tip Beef Roast.

A friend stopped by with a bottle of 2005 Domaine Du Galet Des Papes-Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This wine had a great earthy, dried fruit character along with garrigue (think Herbs De Provence) on the nose. Big tannin structure and 14% alcohol were more than a match for this meal.

Warning: Chimichurri Sauce is addictive.
Eat at your own risk!
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