Specialty of the House: A tasty sauce from Argentina

I recently dined at Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham. Everything was delicious, but the chimichurri sauce was outstanding. I have not tasted such a flavorful sauce since I had it in Argentina. Would you please try to obtain the recipe?

Karen Monna

Cary

Seth Gross, owner of Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham, was more than happy to share the recipe for his chimichurri sauce. He first served it as a topping for a burger in May 2012 when the play “Wicked” was being perfomed at the Durham Performing Arts Center. The Wicked burger was served with a slice of melted Gruyere cheese, a dollop of the chimichurri sauce and a diamond-shaped pomegranate-hibiscus aspic.

Gross sold 700 of those burgers during the play’s three-week run and afterward added the chimichurri sauce to the menu as a regular topping.

Many folks may know Gross from his years selling wine as part owner of the Wine Authorities store in Durham. He left the wine business to return to his earlier love of brewing beer when he opened Bull City Burger and Brewery more than two years ago.

The restaurant and brewery always has six to eight of its own beers on tap. Two being rolled out this summer include a 27701 Durham Mild Ale, which Gross describes as an “easy summer beer,” and Pigmeat Markham Smoked Rye, named after David “Pigmeat” Markham, a Durham native, comedian and considered an early father of rap music. Gross said the beer’s subtle smoked flavor goes excellently with burgers.

For a printable copy of the recipe, click the link:

Chimchurri Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce

This sauce is simple to make and can be stored in an airtight jar for about a week. From Seth Gross of Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham.

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup rough chopped red onion

2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley, firmly packed, no stems

1/8 cup fresh oregano leaves, no stems, packed into a measuring cup

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Juice from 1 large lemon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

PLACE garlic cloves and onion in a food processor and pulse to purée. Add parsley, oregano, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and pepper. Pulse to chop the herbs lightly, but not too finely. This should not be a puree. Slowly add the olive oil through the top spout of the food processor and blend completely. Add salt to taste. Store in a jar, refrigerated for up to a week.

Yield: about 2 cups

Specialty of the House gets recipes for local restaurant dishes. Send requests, including your city, to Specialty of the House, c/o The News Observer or email aweigl@newsobserver.com.

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