Welcome to Never Fail, a weekly column where we wax poetic about the recipes that never, ever let us down.
There used to be a part of my fridge that I referred to as The Graveyard. Bottom shelf. Back right corner. Behind some real estate known as The Leftovers Zone. Without fail, a bag of herbs would end up in The Graveyard every week. Whether it was a half-bunch of cilantro, a whole bunch of parsley, or a few sprigs of mint, I'd open the bag to see wilted, brown, sad herbs with only a shade of the vibrant flavor they once possessed. But that was long ago. That doesn't happen to me any more. Because since I started making this green sauce, I've never wasted a bunch of half-used herbs since. And I've never looked back.
Maybe you call it salsa verde. Maybe you call it chimichurri. Or maybe you have your own cute little name for it. But green sauce is the ultimate insurance policy against herbs gone to waste. It's versatile. It's incredibly delicious. And it comes together in minutes.
You start with whatever herbs you want. For real. Any combination of tender herbs like parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, or dill. (Steer clear of hardy herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage here; they'll be too strong.) Whatever you have in the fridge. It's totally up to you. You just need about a cup of them once they're finely chopped. Then add a handful of chopped garlic and shallot, a few big glugs of red wine vinegar and olive oil, and season with kosher salt and either freshly ground black pepper or a dash of red pepper or other chile flakes. If you're feeling lazy, you can throw the garlic, herbs, and shallot into a food processor, but chopping everything by hand will work just fine.
Make a double or triple batch if you have the ammo for it. This green sauce will last for a week in the fridge, so you're essentially doubling the life of your herbs. And in that week you can use the tangy, fatty, herb-packed sauce for just about anything.
Any grilled, roasted, or seared protein will welcome green sauce. Steak. Fish. A whole damn chicken. Maybe even some roasted vegetables too. Just spoon it right on top. And if you want to get the flavor going earlier, you can also use your green sauce as a marinade.
We're talking about the chameleon of condiments here. You can go for the drizzle or the marinade, but you can also stir some into Greek yogurt for an incredibly simple dip. You can mix it into plain white rice for a more vibrant grain option or spread a bit on your sandwich or toast. Green sauce can be made from any tender herb and serve just about any purpose. It can be anything you want it to be. You know, within reason. If you're looking for a raise at work or a new car or a someone to sublet your apartment...maybe look somewhere else. If you're looking to never waste another bunch of herbs, you're in the right spot.
