Steak Buenos Aires: what and how to order at a parrilla? (2)

Having an asado is all about having a good moment amongst friends or family. It is about sharing good wine and good food in good company. It is also about having a chat, sipping on wine, enjoying time while meat is cooking. A proper asado would go for hours. Even if it goes a bit faster in restaurants and even if portions of meat are usually pretty big, you might want to get your appetite ready, wait for your main course or just have something different while you are sipping on a glass of bubbles or Torrontes. Here are few ideas of what you could get in most parrilla restaurants to help you to be patient.

La picada

La picada could be compared to the Italian Antipasto and could really be described as the Argentine version of it. The word picada comes from the verb Picar, which means to take little bites of food. It consists of few nibbles of cheese, bread, cold cuts and different snacks and it is traditionally how Argentinians would welcome their guests at an Asado.

La provoleta

This hot melty mess of provolone cheese is an absolute must at any traditional Argentine asado. It’s about the diameter of one of those oversized coffee mugs and maybe an inch and a half thick. It came into existence in early 1940 when Natalio Alba thought to combine his Italian heritage with Argentine cuisine seeing as over 50% of Argentinians were Italian immigrants or of some Italian descent. The locally-produced cheese is seasoned and cook on the grill. It gives it a nice crust, a melty inside and beautiful smoked flavored.

Veggie options

If you are in a parrilla restaurant, chances are pretty high that you will be getting a bit of meat as a main course. You might want to balance your meal or just shut the small voice at the back of your head that is saying ”And the greens then??”. Veggie options exist and are as delicious. Provoleta is one of them but you could also try stuffed grilled peppers, grilled portobellos, grilled veggies (popular ones are eggplant, corn, peppers, onions and tomatoes) or even the ensalada mixta (traditional Argentine salad made of lettuce, onions and tomatoes).

Chinchulines or cow intestines

Las Achuras

For those who are a bit more intrepid or curious and think that is never enough meat, there are the achuras ! Las achuras could be described as grilled starters and are mainly made of offals. Aboriginals used to get rid of them, but are now a part very important of traditional asados. The name come from achuraj a word the Aboriginal tribes Mapuches and Araucanos used and which could be translated as ”What you don’t use and get rid of”.

They usually include : chinchulines (cow intestines), riñones (kidneys), and mochejas (sweet breads). Later on, the inseparable couple of chorizo (pork and beef sausages) and morcilla (pork blood sausage) joined the achuras or grilled starters. Well cooked, with a splash of lemon or seasoned with Provencal sauce, there are a delicacy.

Now is only a matter of how you want to treat yourself. Buen provecho!

 

Steak Buenos Aires: Diego’s Guide to Asado and Wine

Hello my wine and food lovers! Today comes a review that those who love <a title=”Best Beef in BA” href=”http://steakbuenosaires.net”>Steaks and Wine</a> are definitely going to adore! That is because today I will provide you with some wines that will be the perfect match for the different stages of an Argentine Asado. For those who do not know what Asado means, I have to tell you that Asado is not just a meal, is the most popular Argentine ritual when it comes to eat beef.  The most common day to have an Asado is Sunday, but for me, an Asado is great any day of the year. The ritual consists in gathering with family and/or friends and just catch up and have a lovely time while the Asador (the man at the grill) cooks the meet on the grill, some will make the salads and prepare other garnishes (like mashed potatoes, rice, etc.), others will prepare some cheese and cold cuts plates (Picadas), another will prepare some special sauces (like the classics Argentine Chimichurri and Salsa Criolla) and, of course, wine plays an important part in this ritual.

Finally, everyone will sit at the table to enjoy the most delicious Argentine meat with a nice<a title=”Best Argentine Wine Tasting” href=”http://www.anuvawines.com”&gt; Argentine Wine Tasting</a>. This type of events usually last hours, and Sunday is usually the best day, because generally no one has to work, so the Asador starts building up the fire a few hours before noon, so during that time everyone else starts joining the party, and around 2-3 PM after having some Picada, Achuras (grilled starters) and a few glasses of wine or Fernet con coca (the national cocktail Made with Fernet and Coca Cola), the different meat cuts arrive and everyone enjoys.

The Asado usually have different parts, and I found that every of this stages will find suitable companions in the following wines I am about to mention, so lets start with this Argentine Food &amp; Wine experience!

As soon as the people start arriving to the Asado, the most common thing is to start digging into some cheeses, cold cuts and different snacks. This is the Picada time, the word Picada comes from the verb Picar, which means to take little bites of food. This is very similar to the Italian Antipasto, actually is the Argentine version of it, and is the most common appetizer or starter at Asados. While the Grill Man (or Woman, why not right!?) starts building up the fire, he usually enjoys some bread, cheese and salami with a glass of his/her favorite wine.

Here there are a few options of which wines are marvelous with this part of the Asado:

For the ones who love bubbles: Las Perdices Rose Extra Brut: A great sparkling wine with a nice body, very refreshing and nice complexity, It is made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, lovely companion of cheeses, or just to have alone. It will open your appetite right away.

Lets start with a white: Mairena Torrontes: Lovely aromatic white with a nice acidity and incredible freshness. Very versatile, you can have it with a great variety of cheeses, better with intense ones like goat cheese. Great with spicy food like a Longaniza or Chorizo Colorado (two types of Salami very spicy typical from Argentina)

Lets have a red: Carinae Malbec: Lets save the robust reds for the meat and start off with a light bodied, easy to drink but full of flavor Malbec. This Mendoza wine is a great red to start slowly and prepare yourself for what is coming next….

So now, between chatting and the Picada the first starters start to come out of the grill. The people is already at the table, and then the first Choris (nickname for the Chorizos, the traditional Argentine sausage to grill) and the Morcis (nickname for the Morcilla, traditional blood sausage), then Chinchulines (Chitterlings), Mollejas (Sweetbreads) or Rinones (Kidneys) and the always delicious Provoleta (an Argentine version of Provolone cheese specially desgined to cook on the grill). And everyone takes a bit of each, some others will prefer to save themselves for the meat and will have some salad, others both. But the dishes start to be full, and so the bellies. So which wines will be suitable for this part of the Asado? Here they are:

For those who are saving space for the meat and just have salad or Provoleta: San Gimignano Chardonnay: A subtle and crisp Chardonnay with a slight aging in oak will be a great match for salads with different greens and carrots. As its acidity has a nice embrace, fresh tomatoes will be just fine. Great companion of cheeses, this wine will be the best friend of your provoleta!

For the Achuras you will need some red, this is high in fat and protein food, and you will need some tannins to clean your palate of that delicious greasiness. Unless you are having a full bodied oaky style white wine, the best would be one of these two:

San Gimignano Syrah Roble:  This red wine from Mevi Boutique winery has more than enough structure to handle any of your achuras. As it has a very nice spiced side and smoked and savory notes coming from the 12 months in oak barrels aging, it will be the perfect match to follow up the grilled starters.

Mairena Bonarda: Medium-Full bodied classic Bonarda, full of red fruits concentration, firm tannins, with a lovely smokiness and a peppery finish. No need to add pepper to your Achuras, have a sip of this Bonarda, is the perfect condiment!

And here is the most important part, the crucial moment of the Asado. The meat is on the table. The most popular meat cut at the asados are the ribs, but in Argentina we eat them cut tranversally, this cut is the one that gives the ritual the name and it is known as “Asado de Tira”. Another is Vacio (thick flank steak), this last one is very popular, but this event can’t be an asado without La Tira de Asado. Then you can also have a pork cut, the Matambrito de Cerdo (pork flank stake) or Bondiola (Pork shoulder, without the bone). And of course, the premium cuts: the Bife de Chorizo (the tasty Argentine cut, with the shape of the NY Strip, but so, o so delicious!), the Ojo de Bife (Rib eye), or the Lomo (filet mignon). Here the wines to share with this delightful meats:

Amauta Corte IV: A blend of Cabernet Franc and Malbec, full bodied, bold and robust, really peppery. I find that this wine has an inmense structure and nice hints to be a lovely pair for the Asado de Tira. The tannins will wash and megre with the juices and fat of the stake and the savory notes of the wine will be highlighted.

Mairena Bonarda Reserve: The upper version of Mairena’s Bonardas. One that is aged 12 months in French oak barrels. A wine with a nice spiced complexity, a full bodied red, meaty with fruits in jam form. I will definitely combine these with the pork cuts and the Asado de Tira, actually is great with anything that has red meat!

Carinae Prestige: The premium quality meats need premium quality wines. And not for nothing this one is named Prestige. Is the top iconic wine of Carinae Winery, a blend of a major part of Malbec with a fusion of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from their vines. Perfect pairing for your Bife de Chorizo, Rib Eye or Lomo. No way to fail here.

Oh dear! So much talking about Asado and Wines made me eager for one right now…I think I am going to organize one right away! I should call my friends and head to the butcher! I hope you enjoy a nice Food &amp; Wine experience on the next Authentic Argentine Asado that you have, you can’t sat you don’t have the wines to do it! Thanks for reading and until another post my Wine loving friends!

 

 

Steak Buenos Aires: Can’t Say No to Cerdo

So at this point it’s fair to say that the two things Argentina is really known for include beef and wine. Duh. I mean what’s the first thing people want to do when they come to this country? Go golfing…I don’t think so. I can say that 86.4587% of the time (fair waring I completely made that figure up in order to help prove my point) people that come here instantly start craving beef from Las Pampas to coincide with the fruitlicious glass of malbec that they’re planning to guzzle down. Well that’s all fine and dandy. I happen to be one of those people myself but, there are many other delectable delicacies here a la parrilla that sometime get overlooked because steak is just so darn good.

Today I’m going to educate you. Today is the day I introduce you to one of the most amazingly juciy cuts of meat that exists here in Argentina. It’s called matambrito de cerdo which translates to pork flank steak. If you’re looking to literally translate it you’d end up with something like ‘hunger-killer from pork’ which is exactly what it does. This one is always a huge crowd pleaser at our asados. Now surely part of this comes from Luis’ expertise at the grill but another part of it simply has to do with the fact that it’s so darn yummy!

It’s a thin slightly rectangular shaped cut that comes from the area between the ribs and the skin. It’s typically no more than 5cm thick and about 20cm longs. On one side there is a good layer of fat that helps to add to the flavor of the cut. It’s boneless and easy to manipulate so it can be made in several different ways and stuffed with all sorts of goodies. The classic method of preparation though is to salt the matambrito de cerdo on both sides with a fine salt. You can also add lemon juice and black pepper to your liking but that’s up to you. Due to the fact that the cut is so thin the flavor of the salt and lemon will really seep into the meat unlike thicker cuts of beef. Another important element in cooking pork flank steak is that you hit hard with the heat. It cooks the meat quickly which is good for pork as you want to avoid it drying out. Each side will probably require less than 10 minutes of cooking on full blast. When serving the dish most asadores will cut it into thin strips and serve with some lemon alongside. It’s a delicious addition to the achuras section of any asado.

 

Asado en Buenos Aires: Asado – Qué y Cómo?

Ya lo dije antes y lo voy a volver a decir, el asado no es una barbacoa! Nunca lo fue, nunca lo será. Ohhh…los intentos y tribulaciones de los traductores y el verdadero significado de una palabra que cambia de una lengua a la otra, pero esto ya es un divague. De todas maneras, si uno está aunque sea apenas familiarizado con este blog o es su primera vez aquí, es con orgullo que confieso que somos lo que se podría decir unos “obsesivos del asado”, y con toda la razón. Probaste el asado? No? Bueno, ya habrás escuchado acerca de Steaks by Luis, este tremendo restaurante a puertas cerradas con la mejor carne y los mejores vinos de bodegas boutique. También escriben un blog realmente grandioso :P. Una vez más parece que me fui un poco por las ramas…

Entonces, el asado, la no-barbacoa de Argentina es prácticamente la cosa más argentina que uno puede hacer aparte de beber Fernet con Coca de una botella plástica cortada al medio con la camiseta del Diego (Maradona) mientras te tomás un bondi, así que sí, el asado es como una religión.Claro, no tiene nada que ver con La Virgen, Jesús o Él, pero la devoción hacia el asado es comparable, de hecho como coincidencia el asado es costumbre realizarlo los domingos. Mientras que el asado parecería algo tradicional y sencillo, NO, no lo es! Y nunca se te ocurra decirlo, jamás jamás! Es una obra de arte, y hay ciertas reglas que se deben seguir:  

1. La Parrilla

Con el fin de tener un buen asado se va a necesitar una parrilla adecuada. La clásica Weber no se va a adaptar aquí chicos y chicas. Para un buen asado argentino, a menos que usted lo esté haciendo a la criolla que es otro estilo totalmente, vas a necesitar una parrilla de ladrillo adecuada. Lo ideal es una bien grande, con bastantes hierros bien macizos acanalados para separar la grasa de la carne y regulables para medir la cercanía a las brasas. Otro aspecto importante de esta “parrilla” es que tenga un área separada en la que podamos preparar el fuego y trasladar las brasas más fácilmente a donde cocinamos la carne..

In order to have a really good asado you’re gonna need a proper grill. Weber isn’t going to cut it here guys and gals. For a proper Argentine asado, unless you’re doing it a la criolla which is another style entirely, you’re going to need a proper brick parrilla. Ideally it’s huge with a large grate will somehow catch the grease from the meat and the height can be adjusted. Another important aspect of this ‘grill’ is that it must have a separate area in which to built the fire and burn the brazas/ coals.

2. No, no usamos fuego para cocinar la carne. 

Bajo ninguna circunstancia se utiliza la llama para cocinar carne a la parrilla en un asado tradicional. Ya sea que elijamos carbón o leña depende de cada uno, pero nunca debe haber llamas debajo de los hierros. Siempre se debe cocinar a las brasas. Esos carbones al rojo vivo que gritan “peligro, no me toques” son el ÚNICO método de cocción para un asado. Un fuego constante debe mantenerse y para regular la temperatura de cocción iremos añadiendo más carbón a medida que el día avanza.

 

3. Sólo la mejor carne 

En Argentina no se anda con jueguitos a la hora de comer carne … de vaca, de cerdo o pollo o la carne en general. Mientras que los cortes pueden tener nombres y un aspecto muy diferente a lo que uno está acostumbrado, hay algunos con los que, básicamente, no nos podemos equivocar. Un favorito popular es  el bife de chorizo ​​también conocido como solomillo o New York Stripe Steak para los angloparlantes. Otras posibilidades incluyen el Vacío, el Ojo de Bife o Cuadril.

4. Achuras, más importantes que los bifes 

A pesar de lo que puedan llegar a pensar, el bife no lo es todo en Argentina. Las Achuras, que podríamos llamarlas entradas de parrilla, son absolutamente esenciales en un Asado. Entre ellas, las más conocidas son el Chorizo (salchicha tradicional argentina para el asado), Morcilla (salchicha a base de sangre), Chinchulines (intestinos), Mollejas, y algunos otros como riñones o sesos. Pero lo que jamás puede faltar es la Tira de Asado, una forma de comer costillas en las que el corte es transversal, tenemos más carne y sabor, para el argentino es un despropósito que no haya de este corte en un asado.

5. Cantidades 

Este es así, no les voy a dar un número exacto, pero les puedo decir que cuanta más carne haya, mejor. La fórmula dice que  hay que calcular alrededor de 500g por persona, eso sería suficiente. Sí, eso puede parecer mucho, pero Argentina tiene una de las tasas de consumo de carne de vacuno per cápita más alto: 68 kilogramos por persona al año.

6. El aplauso

No se sabe bien por qué, pero en Argentina la gente aplaude al final de las películas en el cine (si es buena), o cuando un avión aterriza (no importa si fue un vuelo normal, siempre se aplaude al aterrizar). Y claro, lo mismo se aplica para el Asador (aquel que cocina el asado). Si te gusta lo que comiste, hay que demostrarlo. Tradicionalmente, cuando la carne se sirve y todos están contentos alguien grita: “UN APLAUSO PARA EL ASADOR!!” y ahí viene la ovación de los comensales contentos.