Argentina Steak: Matambre de Cerdo

You may be forgiven for thinking that the only item allowed on an Argentine grill is beef, usually in a combination of lomo, bife de chorizo, tira de asado and perhaps some pork and beef sausages. While it’s certainly true that these cuts feature prominently in any asado, there certainly is room for choice pork cuts, especially the crowd-pleasing kind such as matambre de cerdo.

The term matambre literally refers to “hunger-killing”, the “de cerdo” is added to clarify that this cut is not the same as the straightforward beef matambre, which is in fact a variant of a flank steak, cut from the area between the ribs and the skin. Beef matambre is common in Argentine cuisine but rarely makes it to the grill as it can be quite tough and benefits from oven braising. In contrast, matambre de cerdo, translated as pork flank steak, does brilliantly on the grill as it is a thin roughly rectangular cut, no more than 5 centimetres thick that can extend to 20 com long and has a shape resembling a sheet. Think of it as an even more literal version of pigs in a blanket. The matambre de cerdo has a very (un)healthy layer of fat spread on both sides which can be removed with a sharp knife and some patience, but purists will insist that it be kept as is. It is a boneless cut and easy to manipulate, so some recipes call for the matambre de cerdo to be rolled up and stuffed with all sorts of ingredients, including vegetables and cheeses. This is up to each parrillero of course.

Raw Matambre de Cerdo

The preparation for this cut is a little different as Argentine customary law permits fussing over pork in ways that are forbidden for beef cuts. The typical approach is to flood the matambre de cerdo with sal entrefina, lemon juice and a good amount of black pepper before grilling. The thinness of the cut allows for the flavor to really seep through in ways that beef doesn’t allow.

Also in contrast to most beef cuts, the best approach to grilling matambre de cerdo is to blast it with high heat for a short period. This approach removes the outer fat and also cooks the meat quickly, guaranteeing that it doesn’t dry out. As this is a pork dish, it is almost universally served well done, though the idea is that it still be juicy. The high heat means that each side requires less than 10 minutes and more lemon juice is added throughout the grilling, with care required to not leave any bitter lemon seeds on the meat.

Matambre de Cerdo ready for serving

Once the matambre de cerdo has been flipped and cooked through, it is removed and served either as a main dish, as an accompanying part of the mains in an asado or as a starter. I personally prefer it is a starter cut into small pieces and enjoyed by the grill along with some provoleta and mollejas. Certainly not a light cut by any means, but very tasty and the perfect way to start a long night of eating and drinking. I must confess that I tend to avoid pork but I will never say no to a well-prepared matambre de cerdo. If you see it on a menu, try it, it will hardly disappoint and you can still have your bife de chorizo and flan for dessert.

 

Argentina Steak : Charcoal vs. Woodfire

Visitors to Buenos Aires who have seen parrilla al carbon signs on the steakhouses may have wondered what the carbon means. The basic principle behind any parrilla is that the heat driving the grilling process is not simply turned on and off or adjusted by a dial, but in fact intimately managed by the parrillero. This heat is more specifically generated by hot embers that are placed underneath a grill, upon which sits a wide of selections of choice cuts. The surrounding air and the grill is heated, which in turn slowly cooks the meat. The ways in which a parrillero controls those embers, their placement, and how often they are replaced as they cool, is worth its own blog post. Instead, this post will address where in fact the parrillero gets the embers from. More precisely, from a wood fire or by heating up charcoal, known in Argentina as carbon.

The choice is more important than would appear at first glance. Not only does it change the processes that the parrillero must have a handle on, but it also makes a difference in the taste of the finished meat. To understand this better, it’s important to understand what we’re talking about precisely.

Care for some Charcoal?

Anyone accustomed to cooking with charcoal barbecues would be roughly familiar with Argentine carbon grilling. Bags of the stuff can be bought at any supermarket and the process differs slightly based on the fact that in Argentina the fire generating the hot embers is usually kept separate from the grill itself, and the embers are moved over as needed. For me at least, the trickiest part of using charcoal is getting it lit and hot so that it starts to generate embers. Once they are lit, the coals will stay hot for hours and simply adding new coals to the fire will ensure a steady supply of new coals. Restaurants and apartment buildings in the city with a communal parrilla favor charcoal because it is usually reliable and it is easier to find than firewood. As the ad below demonstrates, the process of lighting the charcoal is not so straight forward. In this case the designated parrillero is missing and his clueless friends must start the fire without him. The last scene, at dawn, with an excessively smoky grill and the chorizos (sausages) barely ready exemplifies how specialized the parrilero function can be. Bear in mind that Hereford is a breed of cow and that Hereford wines are nothing to write home about, hence their amusing ad not about wine, but about asados.

Using fire to generate embers requires the parrillero to split his attention between the actual grilling and the fire itself, as in this case the hot embers must be produced by breaking down the firewood into hot coals. This requires more time, more patience, and more hard work and good judgment so that there are always enough hot embers when they are required. Bear in mind that the meat isn’t actually cooked by the fire itself, so it requires some careful maneouvering to extract the embers from the fire to then transfer them beneath the grill. The advantage though, is that the woodfire generates smokiness that gets into the meat in a way the carbon can’t and there’s nothing quite like using fire to cook your meal.

Or some woodfire?

Opinion, as is normally the case here, is divided about the relative merits and drawbacks of each. Those who favour wood fires will talk up the flavor but might seem a little pretentious to those preferring bags of charcoal, who in turn might be seen as taking shortcuts by the woodfire gang. At the end of the day, whichever method achieves best results is what matters. Great results can be achieved either way, but next time you have a chance, see if you can find out exactly how the meat was grilled. It’s one of the finer details of an asado, perhaps reserved for the obsessive types, but if you’re still reading you may just be one of them.

 

Argentina Steak: The Sunday Asado

In Argentina, a Sunday isn’t a Sunday unless it’s marked by a long and elaborate asado with family, family in this case being cousins and aunts and uncles and in-laws and friends and boyfriends and girlfriends. This tradition is part of life here – it is as inescapable as paying your taxes, the ongoing passage of time, and of being forced into drinking the rather insipid Quilmes beer every so often. In fact, Argentines love dodging taxes and plastic surgery is for some a hobby more than a rare indulgence, but nevermind. No way around the bad beer though.

Anyways, the Sunday asado comes in lots of forms. Key to figuring out where it takes place is the identity of the designated parrillero. Much like a designated driver, being the group’s permanent parrillero is a solemn responsibility, bestowed only after extensive trials and earned through a complicated anthropological process that is poorly understood. Any group of family and friends will have one, relinquished only when the parrillero retires, preferably selecting a successor. Otherwise, conflict is a serious possibility. Selecting Kings and Queens and CEOs is comparably simple.

But I digress. The asado is done at the parrilero’s house typically. Perhaps because the grill is best there, or because they can get the best meat, or because it is large enough to host everybody. In the end, the reasons don’t matter as much as the fact that it has always been that way. Alternatives include grilling in a park, by any lakes, rivers or greenery that have had stand-alone grills as part of the infrastructure. What is most important is not so much the location but the fact that it allows for a large group of people to gather and socialize in anticipation of a great meal.

The parrillero selects the cuts to be grilled, calculates the amounts, prepares the fire and executes. A range  of grilling points may be offered if the parrillero is feeling kind, but don’t count on it. You can request the juiciest or crispiest slices when the meat is being served, but steel yourself for all kinds of reactions if you dare request that your piece of the tira de asado be medium rare. The meat is grilled whole for the entire group, so your personal preference may not count for much.

As important as the Sunday asado is, it is also competes with another Argentine tradition. The Saturday night boliche (nightclub) routine for anyone aged 16 and up doesn’t really get started till 2am. 8am Breakfast at a gas station, a hot-dog stand or a bakery is absolutely acceptable and may not even mark the end of the outing. You can begin to see how this might clash with a 3pm asado. Nevermind the need to sleep off the night, but making an appearance when still dealing with the after effects of that last drink which was one too many, requires special talents. The jury is out on whether the grilled meats of an asado will cure a hangover, but what is beyond doubt is that answering your aunt’s quickfire questions about your previous evening is definitely not going to make it better.

And as we are in Argentina after all, the Sunday is not complete without a bunch of people yelling at the television while their preferred soccer team attempts to not embarrass themselves on the field. The asado is timed so that the game can be watched in peace, or as the case may be, with plenty of agitation.

The Sunday asado is part of life here. It’s an opportunity to catch up, to tease family members, to have important discussions, to introduce new partners, and to just while away what is otherwise a super depressing Sunday afternoon. The only constant is that family meets while quality meat is grilled over a fire, the wine flows, and it all tastes pretty special. Makes sense, right?

 

Argentina Steak: Salt & Asado

When it comes to seasoning the meats that are to be grilled, Argentina is about as unimaginative as it gets. No sauces, no rubs, no glazes. You might get some lemon juice and black pepper on pork dishes, but the only seasoning that is used is salt. The saving grace is that because the meat is so good, it’s never necessary nor even desirable to add any non-beef flavours. But that reliance on salt means that it is hugely important, in ways that perhaps are not apparent at first glance.

First off, the salt that is used in Argentina is rather unique in the size of its grains. Larger in diameter than table salt but smaller than sea salt, sal parrillera or entrefina is a happy medium that leaves the meat just right. The size of the salt grains is such that it draws out the water in the meat more effectively than the fine and thick grain versions, meaning that you effectively achieve the desired effect with less salt. It comes down how the grain of salt interacts with the meat – too large and you need a whole bunch of salt to cover the meat because of the reduced surface area, and if it’s fine you end up over salting because of the greater surface area to volume ratio. The sal parrillera allows you to salt the meat with the knowledge that you will get the desired effect of drawing the water out without salting excessively.

So, armed with your sal parrillera and once the meat has been trimmed, you spread the salt out evenly on the meat on both sides but without really rubbing it in. If the salt is simply sitting on top of the meat, that should be enough to have an effect, which will be a noticeable pooling of liquid around the pieces of salt. A large piece like a vacio or tira de asado will require a small handful of salt, roughly. A small handful of salt is admittedly a terrible unit of measurement, but this is the nature of doing an asado. It’s down to judging the piece of meat in front of you and how to best tackle it. Naturally, there will also be differences on how salty people prefer their meat.

Once you have salted your meat, you can now let it sit happily at room temperature for an hour or hour and a half before grilling. It shouldn’t need any more salt unless someone at the table has a major salt addiction. This, of course, is a contentious point.

In Argentina there are as many styles of asado as there are parrilleros. Some will salt immediately before grilling, some will let the salt sit for hours upon hours, some will knock the salt off before grilling, and some will only salt while the meat is already grilling. Each approach is probably based on tradition and inertia rather than any kind of food science or methodical system of testing results, but nonetheless you will hear everybody feverishly defend their own style as the best. The proof is in the pudding, and so I encourage you to try different approaches to see which you like best. As long as you are using sal parrillera, you can rest easy knowing that you are using the parrileros of Argentina best and only friend. And to be frank, that seems to work out just fine.

 

Best Buenos Aires Steakhouse: La Brigada, San Telmo

With a name as memorable as La Brigada (The Brigade), this institution of Buenos Aires steakhouses inevitably pops up when discussing where to get a great, if perhaps expensive, cut of beef. Sitting in the picturesque San Telmo, La Brigada is famous for it’s colita de lomo (tail of tenderloin) so tender that it can be cut with a dull spoon by the waiter upon arrival at your table. A steakhouse with no need for steak knives is clearly worth paying attention to.

Rest assured, you will be provided with steak knife at La Brigada, along with a fun, if perhaps a little stereotypical decor of soccer paraphernalia and very attentive service. This steakhouse has oriented itself towards the tourist segment of the Buenos Aires meat market and has figured it out, as the many rave reviews attest. Of course, Argentines know their beef and so you will also hear the porteno accent mixed in with the English, German and Portuguese. They have an extensive and unique selection of cuts to choose from (colita de lomo for example is not common and they will have been known to grill up that most American of cuts, the mighty T-bone, known as Bife-t here) and the winelist is long, if perhaps quite heavy on the big and well-known Argentine bodegas. A notable difference is that they actually have a wine service and will be happy to accommodate requests for decanting that big-bodied Malbec. In a word, this place is polished. Polished and geared towards fine dining on great grass-fed beef.

Illustrious visitors to La Brigada include John Cusack and U2’s very own Bono, so you can start to imagine the hype around the place. And of course the prices match the hype. Old-timers will also remember La Brigada when it was a much smaller steakhouse not only because it was more charming but also because perhaps the grill was better prepared to handle a smaller quality of steaks. On my last visit, the actual grill was nowhere in sight, which may suit some diners but I always enjoy seeing the grill and how the meat is being prepared.

Nonetheless, La Brigada is a must-do on any serious tour of Buenos Aires’s best steakhouses. It consistently takes in hungry and demanding customers and returns them back to San Telmo’s cobbled streets happy and ranting about ludicrous notions such as meat that can be cut with a spoon. If you don’t believe them, it will be well worth your time to see what the fuss is about.

 

Best Buenos Aires Steakhouse: Parrilla Pena, Congreso

There are plenty of steakhouses in Buenos Aires. Finding one is usually a matter of staying the course in until you run into one. However not all of them are memorable, to the point where a lot of them fuse into the mess of images and smells that make up our memories. And that’s why it’s always special when discussing Parrilla Pena with friends, that they always recognize it and eagerly agree that it’s worth going.

Located in the not super great area near Congreso, Parrilla Pena is always noisy and packed with portenos doing their best to meet their weekly quota of beef consumption. The lights are a bit garish, the tables and chairs squeezed together and the menu relatively short and straightforward. But that doesn’t matter much because as you arrive you walk past the grill and you’re already transfixed by the promise of a good meal. And on top of that, you get a complimentary fried empanada so tasty that it immediately focuses your mind back on the task at hand.

You won’t find much comprehensible or useful English on the menu and the wine list is a touch more diverse than at comparable steakhouses but certainly not a strength. At least the wines are fairly priced, a nod perhaps to the fact that they aren’t providing a stellar wine service.  The wines are stored on shelves right under the ceiling, obliging the waiters to bring bottles down with a clasping contraction that makes the whole process a bit more fun. The service is again, simple and straightforward and not the selling point. That’s the meat.

Simple, straightforward, tasty

The last bife de chorizo I had at Parilla Pena was spot on. I asked for it medium rare and it came as requested, not simple for a relatively thick steak. The tira de asado has a good reputation here as well. The provoleta is good, if not the best, and the salads are typically Argentine – underwhelming for anyone looking to have salad for dinner at an Argentine steakhouse. The meat and fries portions are large and so you are unlikely to leave hungry. This is an Argentine steakhouse that doesn’t bother with fancy preparation, presentation or posturing – it is built on a reputation of repeat customers and focusing on what they do best. The prices, accordingly, beat almost anything you can find in Puerto Madero and Palermo.

This is the steakhouse that you try after you’ve been around the block in Buenos Aires a few times. It’s not tailored for visitors looking to be introduced to the great world of Argentine steak. But give it a shot when you’re comfortable and you might just fit in as one more meat-obsessed porteno.

 

Argentina Steak: Vacio in Buenos Aires

Vacio, or flank steak, happens to be the main entree in the first authentic asado (steak dinner) that I experienced here in Buenos Aires. It is taken from the abdominal muscles, between the spare ribs and the hips. These muscles get a lot of work and tend to contain a lot of nerves. Therefore, this particularly thin cut has a tendency to be relatively tough as opposed to cuts like bife de lomo (tenderloin) which, as the name suggests, is very tender due to lack of use. However, if cooked in the correct manner, as I was taught, you will be rewarded by a juicy and flavorful steak.

 The difference between vacio and cuts like ojo de bife (a derivative of the rib-eye) lies with the distribution of the fat. Ojo de bife contains what we call marbling which is internal lines of fat that dissolve and add flavor to the meat when cooked. Vacio simply has an entire layer of fat along one side of the enormous cut. I say enormous because the flank steak is placed on the grill in its entirety. In my case, I watched the porteno (Buenos Aires resident) who was teaching me the way of the asado cook a 3 kilogram slab of vacio all at once.

 After building a large fire in the parrilla and allowing it to burn down to hot coals, my instructor lowered the rack to just above the flames and set the vacio with the fat side down on the grates. I asked him how long we would have to cook as he was salting the top side over the fire. He estimated that it would be around 45 minutes. This, to me, seemed like an extremely long time over a very hot fire even if it was a large piece of meat, but who was I to disagree? Sure enough, 35 minutes later when it was time to flip it and cook the other side, we found the entire surface was a charcoal black color. What I did not realize then was that the layer of fat is cut off before it is served. Cooking vacio in this way actually allows the meat to cook through while the fat tenderizes and flavors the beef. All that remained to be done was browning the other side and our vacio was ready, tasty and juicy as ever.

However, there as many methods as there are parrillas and parrilleros so don’t be alarmed if your cut of vacio isn’t e cooked in this way. While it is standard for the fat to be placed down towards the heat first, it is also common for the vacio to be exposed to a medium-low heat quite a few centimeters off the burning coals. This approach slowly melts the layer of fat, leaving a relatively thin but crunchy exterior considered by a delicacy by many. The entire piece is then flipped over and cooked to the desired cooking point.

Every parrillero has their own way of preparing vacio. All you need to do is keep in mind that done right, whichever way that may be, its a treat and well worth asking for and if you are brave enough, to grill at home!

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Vacio es la primera entrada que he comido aquí in Buenos Aires durante mi primer experiencia con el asado argentino. Este parte esta sacado de los músculos abdominales, entre las costillas y las caderas. Estos músculos necesitan un montón de trabajo y tienden a contener una gran cantidad de nervios. Por lo tanto, esta delgada corte tiene particularmente una tendencia a ser duro en oposición a cortes como bife de lomo que,  como su nombre indica, está muy sensible debido a la falta de uso. Sin embargo se cocina de manera adecuada, como me enseñaron, que serán recompensados ​​por un filete jugoso y sabroso.

La diferencia entre el vacio y cortes como ojo de bife se trata en la distribución de la grasa. Ojo de bife contiene lo que llamamos marmoleado. Todo lo que es líneas internas de la grasa que se disuelven y añaden sabor a la carne cuando se cocina. Vacio tiene simplemente una capa entera de grasa a lo largo de un lado del corte enorme. En mi caso, he visto el porteño (residentes de Buenos Aires) que me ensena la forma de cocinar el asado una losa de 3 kilo de vacio a la vez.

Después que el fuego de la parrilla sea listo, tienes que dejar que se queme a los carbones calientes, mi instructor bajó la cremallera hasta justo por encima de las llamas y establecer el vacio con el lado de la grasa hacia abajo en las rejillas. Le preguntado cuánto tiempo tendría que cocinar, así que decidió salando la parte superior sobre el fuego. Estimó que sería de alrededor de 45 minutos. Esto, para mí, parecía un largo tiempo sobre un fuego muy caliente, incluso si se trataba de un gran trozo de carne, bebió ¿Usted estaba muy en desacuerdo?

Efectivamente, a 35 minutos más tarde, cuando llegó el momento de darle la vuelta y cocine el otro lado, encontramos toda la zona era de un color negro carbón. Lo que hice entonces no estaba darse cuenta que la capa de grasa que se corta antes de que se sirve. Cocinar de esta manera vacio En realidad permite que la carne a cocinar a través mientras que ablanda las grasas y sabores de la carne de vacuno. Lo único que quedaba por hacer era dorar el otro lado y el vacio estaba preparado, sabroso y jugoso como siempre.

 

Best Buenos Aires Steakhouse: Siga La Vaca, Puerto Madero

There is no doubt that there are better parrillas around Buenos Aires but Siga la Vaca combines Argentine food in a buffet format. A successful combination, taking into consideration the crowds that pour into Siga la Vaca on a regular weekday night. Due to its high success you can bet on finding several locations around Buenos Aires, they even have an express option which is their version of fast food. It’s a big location that can easily accommodate large groups with hearty appetites. It’s an ideal choice for those looking for a good value, loud atmosphere and would like to share dinner with a group. You can rest assured that they keep their salad bar fresh and full. You have the option of receiving one beverage, which can be a bottle of wine, a pitcher of beer or soda.

You really do get your moneys worth at Siga La Vaca and I strongly recommend it for those who enjoy buffet style dining with an argentine twist. The waitress was friendly and to my surprise strapped all of our handbags onto our chairs for security purposes, knowing that our bags were secured actually allowed me to enjoy my dinner.

The atmosphere is not too formal and you can bet on quick service! They have a good meat selection with a long front grill exposing a mountain of meat, with just about everything your heart could desire. From chicken to intestines, everything is up for grabs. I definitely enjoyed picking around and trying each one of the different meats on the parrilla, which really allowed me to appreciate the difference between all of the different cuts.

The greatest thing is that they are all accompanied by selections of appetizers, salads and fries without limits.For being an all you can eat parrilla they sure don’t cheap out with the desserts. That being said my favorite part was ending my meal on a sweet note, I had an excellent chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Without a doubt I enjoyed every second of my meal and left the restaurant with the urge to go back soon. So if you’re looking for a buffet style argentine meal at a great value, Siga La Vaca is a Buenos Aires parrilla must do.

 

Argentina Steak: Morcilla in Buenos Aires

In a traditional Argentine asado (steak dinner), you will find that the main entree is preceded by a series of “aperitivos”. These can vary from the delectable provoleta (grilled provolone cheese) or your choice of several different kinds of sausages (chorizos, rinones, chinchulines y mollejas) generally comprised of achuras, or offals. Perhaps the most popular amongst Argentines would be the morcilla, known in English as blood sausage.

This particular sausage tends to be difficult for some to swallow as it is most definitely not for the squeamish. I was lucky enough to try my first morcilla without knowing what it was. Had I known what I was getting into as I sat down for my first authentic asado in Buenos Aires, I may not have given it a chance, but now that I have tried it I continue to go back for more. If you can handle the unique texture of the this “achura”, you will be rewarded by a multitude of flavors hitting you at once. This mixture of pig’s blood, ground up pork, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, rice, bread crumbs, and nuts truly is one of a kind.

Be prepared, however, to shop around to find a morcilla that appeases your taste buds as recipes vary from butcher to butcher. Expect the sausages to be very dark in color, ranging from dark reddish brown to very dark brown.

These Argentine embutidos (sausages) will come pre-cooked and, therefore, do not require very much cook time making them ideal for an appetizer. At a Buenos Aires parrilla (Buenos Aires steakhouse) morcillas are cooked on lower heat, so as to not break the casing, until the outside becomes crispy and the inside reaches a pleasantly warm temperature. You will not need to add any sort of sauce or seasoning since the ingredients within provide all of the enticing flavors. Morcilla criolla (the larger of two sizes (the other being bombon)) has also been known to be served as a sandwich called morcipan. You can also find morcilla dulce which adds raisins and more nuts to the mix for a sweeter taste.

 

Argentina Steak: Provoleta in Buenos Aires

The Argentines love to start off a traditional asado (steak dinner) with their trademark appetizer called provoleta. Provoleta is a disc of locally-produced provolone cheese that has been seasoned and grilled to be served before the steaks. It was first produced and marketed in 1940 by Natalio Alba. He wanted to combine Argentine cuisine with Italian, since over 50% of Argentines were either Italian immigrants or descendants from Italian immigrants, which is still the case today. With this in mind, Alba took cheese which is a cornerstone of the Italian kitchen and incorporated the Argentine asado by throwing it on the parrilla (grill). Needless to say, this dish soon began its rise in popularity across Argentina.

Fifteen years later, provoleta was given the name “Argentine pulled-curd provolone cheese” to distinguish the alternate technique used in producing this particular cheese. You will be able to find this in any Buenos Aires parrilla (Buenos Aires steakhouse) along with multiple variations of toppings and seasonings. The most common and simple method of preparing provoleta consists of pressing a healthy amount of chilli and oregano firmly into the cheese in order to avoid losing the spices into the fire. However, there are many different options as everyone has the opportunity to experiment with their own. Some recommendations include an addition of oil, other spices, or even topped with chimichurri sauce (another original Argentine concoction). Actually cooking your own provoleta can be a little tricky, that is if you do it the correct way and place the cheese disc directly on the grill.

The asador (grill master) has to be careful not to allow the cheese to melt through the grates. This can be avoided by allowing the cheese to sit at room temperature for approximately an hour before cooking. Your provoleta will form a film around the exterior that enables the cheese to become crispy when cooked over the hot coals instead of a melty glob that you cannot retrieve from the parrilla. If you prefer an easier approach, you can wrap it in aluminum foil or simply place it on a pan before cooking it. Once each side has had its chance to develop that desired crispiness, serve it alone or along with a slice of bread.