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Home » Wild Game » Venison » Chimichurri with Venison

Chimichurri with Venison

By Hank Shaw on July 24, 2012, Updated May 21, 2020 - 18 Comments

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5 from 15 votes
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chimichurri sauce recipe
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Chimichurri is one of those wonderfully herby salsas you make when the weather is warm and the grill is hot. Of Argentine origin, chimichurri is the quintessential sauce for grilled meats, in this case venison.

Chimichurri is primarily a mixture of parsley and mint, garlic, salt, oil and either a little vinegar or citrus. Some people add a bit of chile, and I am one of those people. But you mostly want to taste herbs and garlic.

Any mint will do, but I have a thing for wild mints. I seek them out wherever they are, which, in North America, is pretty much everywhere. Over the years I have become a connoisseur, tasting and savoring these little plants like fine wine. Mountain pennyroyal has become my favorite of them all.

All I need tell you about this little mint is its Latin name: Monardella odoratissima, the “most fragrant” monardella. Monardellas are the pennyroyals of the Western United States. There are lots of them, and they all pretty much have the same characteristics:

  • Monardellas like dry places. True mints prefer wet places.
  • They’re short, not much more than a foot tall or so.
  • The base of the stems can get woody, which makes sense since these plants are perennial.
  • They tend to have narrow, lance-shaped leaves that are fairy thick.
  • Their flower heads are squat and round. If you’ve ever grown bee balm in your garden, they look very similar, although monardella flowers range from white to lavender.

We have another pennyroyal close to home here in Sacramento, Monardella villosa, the coyote mint. It grows in large swaths around the American River Parkway, among other places. I’m a big fan of that one, too.

Mountain pennyroyal growing.
Photo by Hank Shaw

In case you are wondering, no, this pennyroyal is not related to the European pennyroyal, which has been used as a traditional medicine to promote abortions, and which was featured prominently in a song by Nirvana. That pennyroyal is actually a true mint, Mentha pulegium.

But don’t get hung up on finding wild mints for making real-deal Argentine chimichurri. As I said, any mint will do.

Ideally you would chop and then pound everything together in a mortar and pestle — this brings out the aromas and flavors better than any other method. But it’s far easier to make chimichurri in a food processor.

Don’t use a blender unless you want to use your chimichurri as a marinade for meat or fish (it is exceptionally good for that, by the way) because you want some texture in this sauce.

chimichurri sauce recipe
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5 from 15 votes

Chimichurri with Grilled Venison

This recipe is really all about the sauce, so the fact that I use venison here is incidental. Beef would be traditional in Argentina, where chimichurri comes from, but lamb, goat or even pork would be fine, too. I use wild mint, but you can use whatever mint you want. You can also play with proportions, too. Hate mint? Use oregano. Use fresh herbs when you can, but when you can't find them, dried parsley, chiles and mint work fine.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Condiment, Main Course
Cuisine: Argentinean
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 255kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

CHIMICHURRI

  • 1-2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup fresh chopped parsley, lightly packed
  • 1 cup fresh chopped mint, lightly packed
  • 1 small hot chile, minced
  • 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

VENISON

  • 1 1/2 pounds venison backstrap in one piece
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt

Instructions

  • Food processor method: Put the garlic, herbs, chile, lime juice and a little salt in the bowl of a food processor. Buzz to combine, but do not puree. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Let steep for an hour or so before serving.
  • Traditional method: Mince the garlic, chile and herbs by hand and pound a little in a mortar and pestle. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper and then mix in the olive oil slowly by hand, stirring all the while. Let steep for an hour or so before serving.
  • For the venison: Take the meat out and let it come to room temperature. Pat it dry with a paper towel, then coat with the vegetable oil. Salt it well.
  • If you are grilling, get your grill hot and clean the grates. If you are planning on pan-roasting, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and get a large saute pan hot on your hottest burner.
  • Grill the venison, turning occasionally until it is medium-rare, or however you like it; this should take about 10-15 minutes. If you are pan-roasting, brown the outside of the venison backstrap in the saute pan, then put the whole pan into the oven. Roast for about 8 minutes for rare. Use the finger test for doneness as your guide.
  • Let the venison rest on a cutting board. Right before you slice and serve it, Pour any accumulated juices into the chimichurri. Pour the chimichurri over the sliced venison and serve at once.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 871IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 4mg
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Filed Under: Featured, Foraging, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for John McNamaraJohn McNamara says

    December 12, 2022 at 6:35 pm

    Made this with moose the other weekend, spectacular and simple

    Reply
  2. Avatar for DougDoug says

    September 8, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    Had to find a chimichurri sauce after having it at an Argentine restaurant. As always Hank comes through with a winner!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Possum WalkerPossum Walker says

    November 2, 2020 at 8:58 am

    I reverse seared a whole backstrap to medium rare, sliced, and topped with this chimichurri. It was a big hit as an appetizer. I think I chopped the mint/parsley/garlic too fine but it was still delicious!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for A V MA V M says

    April 16, 2017 at 11:47 am

    I’ve replaced my usual chimichurri recipe with Hank’s version – great balance. In the summer, this graces grilled salmon and venison alike on a weekly basis.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Reid A.Reid A. says

    July 12, 2016 at 7:59 am

    This is a new favorite of mine! Turned out great using wt venison backstrap. Only sub was the marisol chili, which I couldn’t find. Instead used a single dried arbol. Came out plenty balanced. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to steep it, but it still came out better than any chimichurri I’ve had eating out.

    I think in the future, I am going to try the venison part as a sousvide, as the taper of the cut made some of this a bit more done than I wanted. Still plan to sear on the cast iron skillet.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for benben says

    August 18, 2015 at 6:06 pm

    This is an awesome recipe! I never would have thought Pesto and Venison, but man does it work! I actually did not have fresh mint on hand; but instead used fresh basil and lamb’s quarters from my garden! I have a new recipe that i will use for years! thanks!

    Reply
  7. Avatar for AngeliqueAngelique says

    July 22, 2014 at 11:29 am

    That looks delicious. How would you use dried coyote mint in cooking? I harvested some at Lindsey Lake (near where HWY 80 and 20 meet) this past weekend as part of a plant ID class. The flowers tops were nearly dried, but the plants were alive and well and very much in abundance. I wonder what conditions the plants would be in Sacto. right now?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      July 22, 2014 at 3:43 pm

      I use it like dried oregano or mint. It’s basically a combination of the two. Not sure how the plants are now, it’s awfully dry out, but they’re pretty hardy.

      Reply
  8. Avatar for ChadChad says

    January 13, 2014 at 7:58 am

    I made this topping and put it on moose steaks cooked rare/medium rare and it turned out GREAT! Side dish of roasted red potatoes with parmesan cheese. Nice red wine. Enjoy!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for ericaerica says

    April 13, 2013 at 5:38 pm

    Yum! And a good read. Not surprised. Thanks, Hank

    Reply
  10. Avatar for KyleKyle says

    October 17, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    In all my years kicking around the Sierra I’ve only ever used this little delight for a basic tea when I’m resting. A chimichurri, now this I’ll have to try.

    I’ve never found coyote mint in the Parkway, but I gather spearmint occasionally on the section of the river by Rodeo Park in Folsom. Some seeps and drains that seem heaven sent for Miner’s Lettuce, Watercress, Mugwort and Mint.

    Reply
  11. Avatar for CatherineCatherine says

    October 3, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    Thanks for all the well-reading detail in this post, as always. I’ll have to check out mountain pennyroyal, since I seek out mints too. Cheers!

    Reply
  12. Avatar for KevinKevin says

    July 30, 2012 at 8:25 am

    I’ve got some chest high mountain mint (Pycnanthemum albescens) that might go well in this recipe since it has a nice spicy note.
    Who in the wide world of sports has a venison backstrap in their possession this time of year?!!!? Guess I need to get closer to the bag limit (8) from now on.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

    July 27, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    Javahead: Absolutely! Coyote mint will work just fine.

    Reply
  14. Avatar for JavaheadJavahead says

    July 27, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    How do you think this would work with Coyote Mint, the Monarda species that’s easier to find in the coastal foothills?

    Reply
  15. Avatar for deana@lostpastremembereddeana@lostpastremembered says

    July 27, 2012 at 3:43 am

    Knock me over with a feather, I never knew there was a wild pennyroyal. How very odd that it is not related in any way to true pennyroyal which is a great favorite of mine (a very sweet mint). The flowers do have a monarda look to them. I can’t wait to try it. I can imagine as you describe it, it would make a perfect chimichurri for that divine venison you made.

    Reply
  16. Avatar for NathanNathan says

    July 26, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    Very Cool! I was just introduced to chimichurri a few weeks ago and I’ve been planning on trying it with venison. I’ve also been working up in the high country and wondering if this mint had culinary uses. Wierd how they came together in one post. Thanks!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for Deirdra StrangioDeirdra Strangio says

    July 26, 2012 at 11:28 am

    Thanks! I always wondered about wild mints and Pennyroyal.
    I love all the information you put into these posts about the edible wild plants around us. When I was a kid in school, we would run around with this lady named Elizabeth Terwilliger who showed us about the natural flora and fauna of the Marin headlands. I always loved it when she would point out something we could eat 🙂

    Reply

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Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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