It’s the end of August – have you seen chile roasting happening in your neighborhood? Every August, a wonderful local market in our area sets up a couple of weekends for Hatch chile roasting. Bushels of fresh, green chiles arrive and get loaded into a big, rotating drum over a propane flame. The roasted chiles emerge, fragrant and savory, after a few minutes. I always buy enough to put on burgers and chop up in eggs, and more to freeze for the year. The end of August is also grilling time! Since Matcha tea has so many flavor and health advantages for meat, I was inspired to add Matcha tea powder to one of my favorite Hatch chile sauces – a version of tangy, garlicky Chimichurri Sauce. This super-green sauce is a wonderful accent to all kinds of grilled meats and makes a great marinade (thinned with a bit more olive oil). Not only does the Matcha tea add umami (richer, deeper grilled flavors without adding more salt), but marinating with olive oil and Matcha tea powder reduces the carcinogen effects that can come with grilling. Learn more about that in this article! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Green Chili and Matcha Chimichurri

Ingredients:

½ lb Roasted Hatch Medium-Hot Green Chilis ((prep notes in instructions))

½ cup Cilantro, roughly chopped

½ cup Parsley, roughly chopped

3 cloves Garlic

2 tbsp Cider Vinegar

2 tbsp Lemon Zest

1 tsp Matcha or Sencha green tea powder

½ tsp Sea Salt

½ tsp Ground Pepper

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Prep Notes: This recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce. Any sauce you do not use within 3 days can be frozen and used later. I like to freeze in large silicone ice cube trays and keep the cubes in a freezer bag – it’s just the right amount to garnish steaks, egg dishes, or other entrees for our family of four. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a place to buy pre-roasted Hatch chiles, any type of chile can be roasted by putting it under a broiler until the skin blackens and blisters. After the chiles have cooled, remove the seeds and stem, and rinse off most of the blackened skin under running water. Be sure to wear gloves if you are using medium or hot chiles! If Hatch chiles aren’t available in your area, Anaheim, Poblano, or even Hungarian Wax chiles would all work with this recipe.