My sister is the grill master of our family. On her trusty Weber kettle grill she makes souvlaki and grilled shoyu lime chicken. She also makes fantastic smoked and grilled ribs. I always serve as sous chef – making marinades, skewering meats, or shuttling items in and out of the house.

More recently she has been experimenting with smoking big slabs of brisket with fantastic results. Using local kiawe wood – a variety of mesquite that was naturalized for Hawaii and is a little sweeter than the mesquite found in the western continental U.S. – she carefully watches over the whole process. She has the patience for the low and slow cook needed to produce a tender, flavorful, and juicy brisket.

Brisket Bánh Mì

The inspiration for this Asian chimichurri comes from one of our favorite sandwiches at The Pig & The Lady, a modern Vietnamese restaurant on Oahu. Their Pho French Dip is made with a Thai basil chimichurri. My sister took this idea and ran with it, giving the sauce more complex herbal qualities by adding cilantro.

This assertive sauce stands up well to the rich, smoked brisket. Combined with crisp Vietnamese daikon and carrot pickles, more fresh cilantro, and a little hoisin sauce, this sandwich is craveable and delicious.

Pasta salad and more

More than a sandwich spread, this chimichurri is versatile and can be used in many other ways:

• Serve it with grilled meats or tofu.
• Add a little olive oil and drizzle it over roasted vegetables.
• Thin it with even more olive oil to make a vinaigrette to dress a pasta or grain salad (like couscous or farro).
• Put a dollop in olive oil and use it as a dip for crusty bread.

Cilantro isn’t for everyone

If you’re one who can’t eat cilantro then you were probably turned off by the recipe name alone. But if you’re still with me then just look for some other soft herbs to substitute for the cilantro. You could use parsley like a traditional chimichurri or Italian basil or mint. Experiment and find your favorite combination of herbs.

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