Argentine Asado
The Argentine Asado is the most popular social gathering in Argentina, and no weekend is truly complete without it. It’s a celebration of seared meat and flame, filled with good times and liberally doused with Malbec and Fernet with coke
Traditionally, the vast grassy plains (La Pampa) surrounding Buenos Aires have provided an impressive abundance of top-quality beef. The cows and horses that thrived on these plains gave birth to the gaucho culture, where the open fire was the only cooking method and meat the most reliable food source.
Today, there are still more cows than people in Argentina, and the beef remains plentiful and absolutely delicious. What makes Argentine beef so good? It might be the cattle grazing freely on the pampas, the skilled butchers offering endless cuts, the slow cooking that renders the meat tender, or the minimalist seasoning – just plenty of coarse barbecue salt.
Whatever the secret, it’s a wonder. On any given weekend, a stroll through a neighborhood will fill your senses with the smoke, aroma, and sizzling sights of asado. Here’s how you can recreate it step by step.
Step 1: Get the Meat
- Chorizos: small pork sausages
- Morcilla: blood sausages
- Tira de asado: short ribs
- Vacio: flank steak
- Bife ancho: rib-eye steak
- Lomo: tenderloin
- Mollejas: sweetbreads, grilled until crispy with lemon
Step 2: Gather Materials
- Wood or charcoal (use only when fully burned through and red hot)
- Bread: mini-baguettes for choripán
- Cheese and salamis for the starter (picada)
- Malbec wine and Fernet with coke
- Provoleta: rounds of provolone with herbs
- Coarse barbecue salt
- Basic green salad
The asador (grill master) is in charge from start to finish – no interference allowed. A true asador wields a sharp gaucho knife at their belt.
Step 3: Prepare the Coals
Spread the coals under the grill in a rectangular shape, leaving the middle empty. Keep a side fire burning to replenish coals. Slow cooking is key – the heat should produce a gentle, constant sizzling.
Step 4: Time to Cook
Add the beef, chorizos, morcilla, and cheese at the same time for different courses. First off: provoleta, cut into molten squares. Next, morcilla, then chorizos served with bread and chimichurri for choripán. Toast the bread lightly before serving.
Step 5: Cook Like an Expert
Keep meat bone-side down, fat up, for most of the cooking time (about 45 minutes). Turn only once, never cut into it while cooking. When ready, remove, slice, and serve to your guests.
Once everyone is served, a round of applause for the asador is customary – a universal sign for a job well done.
Want to taste an authentic Argentine Asado? Join us at our hunting lodge and enjoy world-class wingshooting combined with traditional barbecue flavors.
Source: thelatinkitchen.com
