(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Looking for a quick and tantalizing dinner solution? Why not treat your taste buds to an Argentinean favorite, a choripan.
Choripan is basically a sausage sandwich but with an Argeninean-style sausage, which is usually a mild type.
Weather it is steak or sausage, no Argentinean-inspired meal is complete without the renowned chimichurri sauce. A delicious sauce (that looks more like a marinade) comprised of finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine vinegar. Truly a must.
(Photo: Shaun Meintjes)
To offset the saltiness of the sausage and the sauce, I am adding a side of sweet potato fries, lightly dusted with sea salt and cinnamon.
Finally, you cannot have an Argentinean dinner without a Malbec, the country’s flagship wine. My friends at Kobrand Wine & Spirits have provided an exceptional Reserva Malbec wine that pairs beautifully with this meal. Let‘s get cooking!
Menu: Argentinean chorizo (sausage) sandwich with chimichurri sauce and sea salt-cinnamon sweet potato fries.
Wine pairing: 2018 Bodega Norton - Reserve Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)
Serves 3
Ingredients
Sausage:
6 Argentinean-style chorizos (sausages)
Bread:
Soft baguette bread, sliced diagonally in three equal parts, then sliced open lengthwise.
Chimichurri sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of fresh finely chopped cilantro
3-4 cloves garlic , finely chopped or minced
1 tablespoons of dried crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
Sweet potato fries:
Frozen package of your favorite brand of sweet potato fries.
1 tablespoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
Suggested (optional) sandwich toppings:
Fresh watercress
Fresh tomato slices
Thinly-sliced julienne strips of red onion
Directions
Chimichurri sauce:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavors into the oil before using. If time allows, allow sauce to sit for at least 2 hours. * Note: Chimichurri can be prepared earlier than needed, and refrigerated for 24 hours, if needed.
Chorizo:
Grill chorizo sausage until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (approximately 15-20 minutes).
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Bread:
Lightly toast baguette bread pieces for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and set aside.
Fries:
Prepare frozen sweet potato fries according to package instructions.
On a large metal mixing bowl, toss cooked fries with sea salt. Add cinnamon and toss again until all fries are mixed well.
Serve it up!
This rustic, but flavor-packed meal is simple to prepare.
Open each bread slice and lightly spread some of the chimichurri sauce on the bottom slice. Next, place two sausages. If you want to add additional toppings (as the one suggested earlier) go ahead and do so now, finally topping off with a little extra chimichurri sauce, closing off by placing the top bread.
Place sandwich on individual plates and scoop a generous portion of the sweet potato fries next to it and serve.
Buen provecho! Enjoy!
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
About the wine…
Specially reserved due to its exceptional features, Reserva wine is characterized by its elegance and complexity.
It is made from carefully selected grapes from vineyards aged between 30 and 50 years old. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels and then additionally in bottles before release.
The harmonious coexistence of fruit and wood over time has made this a great wine, characterized by elegance and complexity.
2018 Bodega Norton - Reserve Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)
(Photo courtesy of Kobrand Wine & Spirits)
Tasting notes: Intense red color with purplish hues. In the nose, it is an expressive wine with ripe black fruits, violets, spices and tobacco. In the mouth, it is wide and fleshy with a lingering finish.
Grapes: 100% Malbec
Food pairing: Grilled and roasted meats, mild to sharp cheeses and dishes with rich sauces.
Accolades:
92 Points
Sommelier Journal
92 Points
Tasting Panel
For more information, visit:
&
Special thanks to my friends at Kobrand Wine and Spirits for this outstanding wine pairing collaboration.
—————————————————————
Decorative wine drip collar by: https://dripstosips.com
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
(Photo: Alison Joslyn)