# Home Made Chimichurri Spice Rub ... A Fab Christmas Gift ...



## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Spice rubs can be a perfect present. They are versatile and so much better than a commercial mix.

Chimichurri

5 Minutes.

Makes 1 Cup.

3 tblsps dried oregano leaves

3 tblsps dried basil leaves

2 tblsps dried parsley flakes

2 tblsps dried thyme leaves

2 tblsps Coarse Kosher Salt

1 tblsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tblsp dries savoury leaves

1 tblsp smoked Spanish paprika called Pimenton ... La Vera is the producer and region

2 tblsps garlic powder

2 tblsps dried crushed red pepper

1. Whisk all ingredients in medium sized bowl.

2. Transfer to an airtight container.

This mix of herbs and spices is combined with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar and used as a rub for grilled steaks in Argentina.

Rub all over steak prior to barbecuing or oven roasting or pan searing. Make the marinade with one fourth cup of the rub, a half cup olive oil and 3 tblsps of red wine vinegar.

* If giving as a gift, store in airtight container.

Serve with a Malbec 100% ... Apellation Mendoza, Argentina or Cordova.

Note that restaurant supply wholesale shops, warehouse chains and Asian or Latin Markets have many spices... Sources include

www.mcfaddenfarm.com

www.surfasonline.com

www.penzeys.com


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## mithunchowdhury (Jul 17, 2010)

That's simply a great one recipe! I will try this soon.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Great.

Happy Holidays.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Thank you Margcata for sharing this fantastic sounding recipe for a rub. 

I have been racking my brain for something that I could make to put into pint sized Mason jars and give as hostess gifts this party-going-season.  I had purchased an entire case of jars and only used four of them, and not liking to waste anything, this solves that dilemma.  I'll just make up some tags with instructions and maybe a few suggested uses.  I have all of the ingredients, minus the savory.  My Mother recently found Penzey's Spices in town and she has been hinting that we should go and check them out, she doesn't cook!!  In any case, I have not been able to find savory in the mega marts and we can make an afternoon trip out of it.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

So pleased to hear. I also have a Tandoori one for chicken however, I am in Switzerland until 18th and then I shall post as I do not have my books with me that I have penned however, not published yet ... Younger daughter just had her 3rd son ... 

Yes, a cool gift and fab on seared rare steaks ... Happy Holidays.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Here's what I did:

I wasn't sure if our host and hostess of the party that we are going tomorrow do any grilling, some folks around here don't even cook. So I remembered that I had several extra spice jars, also a mini olive oil and vinegar in my cupboard. I made up a half recipe and that yielded a jar and a half, perfect, that way I can try this as well!


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Lovely photo. Cool. Grilled steak or pan seared take just a few minutes for rare or med. rare ...

It is cool gift and can be used as a rub for beef ribs, which can be oven roasted too. The best part is the aromas it imparts ... Heavenly. 

Have a healthy, fulfilling and prosperous 2012.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

KG: While I appreciate your desire not to waste anything, a pint of an herbal rub is a heck of a lot, unless it's for somebody who's going to use it every day; which doesn't sound like the case. Maybe you need to go with other containers, and save the canning jars for other purposes? They do, btw, make great dry-storage containers for grains and beans.

A nice gift-giving technique with them is to take one of your favorite baked-goods recipes. Combine all the dry ingredients in the jar, with an instruction note to mix with X amount of liquid, Y eggs, and bake at 350F or so long.

Margcata: Does it matter, in your recipe, which savory to use? Summer savory and winter savory are two rather different herbs.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

KY, you're right. 

I didn't really want to make up enough rub to fill an entire pint mason jar, that's why I opted for my stash of spice jars. 

I forget the size, what are they 4 onces? 

So I only made half of Margcata's recipe. 

I orginally was thinking of the idea of a baked item in a jar, but my husband pointed out that very few people in our circle cook let alone bake.

It would probably just be re-gifted and a waste of my time, effort and resources.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Good question.

There are over 35 varieties of Savoury Herb. 

Firstly, summer savoury is more common in the U.S.A. and Canada however, note it is a summer perennial and annual.

Secondly, winter savoury is most common in the Mediterranean and thus, may or may not be local.

Summer variety is good for beef steaks and the winter for Italian and southern French dishes.

Happy Holidays.

Margcata


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

my computer ate this the first time...arrgh!!!!!!

i wanted to send this along yesterday but somehow the day got away from me...please excuse if i repeat ky's post. 

just a couple of random thoughts about your spice rub gift. it takes ALOT of ingredients to fill a pint jar(it's 2 cups as you know) and can get pricey. while chimichurri is great on red meat, it's not as veratile as let's say a coffee rub which is great on pork, chicken, shrimp as well as beef. the brown sugar and coffee(i use espresso) in the rub also helps to take up some volume in the jar. bdl posted his coffee rub recipe a bit ago and i have one that is similar but less complicated if you like. his addition of cocoa powder is a nice touch and adds yet another 'what is that flavor?' expression...another layer. perhaps you can do 2 rubs, chimichurri and a coffee one. when i have gifted rubs in the past, i put them in small tins..besides the niceness of the tins i think they preserve the spices better than glass jars. guess it all depends on how often you use them.i use rubs alot, so mine tend to be in ziploc bags...something like the cobbler's shoes, i guess......

joey

....i was going to say put cookie dough in the jars since you were already making cookies, but i like ky's suggestion better.....


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_Firstly, summer savoury is more common in the U.S.A. and Canada however, note it is a summer perennial and annual._

I don't think so, Margcata. Summer savory is an annual. Winter savory is a perennial. The two have little in common as well: leaf shape, flavor, etc. are different.

I suspect from the shape that the savory sold in jars in North America is summer savory (it's never marked as anything but "savory."). A shame, because summer savory is like basil in that, while it dries readily, it's flavor profile changes radically. I love both those herbs fresh, but never use them dried. Winter savory, on the other hand, has a higher concentration of essential oils, and retains it's base flavor.

The fact is, however, that savory, as with many of the better herbs, is so much better if you grow it yourself and use it fresh.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

I too like fresh herbs however, I am an Urbanite living in the Capital of Madrid so it is a bit complicated. The spice rub is lovely however, I have used both.

 Well,  according to google,  the previous info seems to be on target, and is what I had obtained from several herb websites. I am not an expert in herbs, however, just have made some gifts over the years and they were quite wonderful according to some colleagues and friends. It is a recipe actually from a trip to Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Cordoba, Arg. I have made it in USA as well as here in Europe so savoury could be of any variety that is available.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Thank you so much Margcata for posting that recipe. They will make terrific gifts not just at christmas but at any time of season. This one is going in my file and I look forward to making it and sharing the recipe with others. When I make it, I will post a pic.

Petals.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Thanks dear. Merci. Happy Holidays and look forward to seeing your next creation.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

@Petals :  Your desserts sound fab. When I return to Madrid, I shall be able to explore ur holiday recipes ... the Pineapple ... I love tropical fruit.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

I wanted let you know that I finally got around to trying the rub 

(to be truthful, I forgot I had some, it was not in my regular spice cabinet) 

on some chicken thighs that I grilled the other night, it was fabulous! 

I made a little too much so I shared some with my Mother, she loved it. 

I have not heard from any of my gift recipients as yet, hopefully they enjoyed as much as we did. 

Now we need to dream up something different for next Christmas...


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