Red chimichurri, the other version of Argentina's famous sauce, makes whatever it touches better

Friends sometimes apologize to me for being strictly meat and potatoes lovers. No problem. I enjoy cooking both. Offering a flavorful finishing sauce proves key to pleasing everyone. I turn to the brilliance of Argentina's meat and robust condiment culture for inspiration.

Argentina's love of beef shows up in its traditional mixed grill feasts at parrillas (grill restaurants), in matambre arrollada, a stuffed beef roll, and minced fine in some of the best empanadas I've ever tasted.

All of the above are so much the better when doused with chimichurri, Argentina's go-to condiment. The uncooked sauce of herbs, garlic, olive oil and seasonings is this South American country's answer to Mexico's salsa.

In Argentina, chimichurri comes in green and red. In the U.S., green chimichurri, made with lots of fresh parsley, appears on menus more often than red