Lets talk about Steaks in Argentina

In terms of eating there is a lot left to personal preference. This can be attributed to many factors including, palette inclinations, what kind of food you grew up with or simply how hungry you are at a specific point in time.  The same applies for beef.  Cows are huge and when butchered they produce a lot of different cuts.  If you will indulge me, in the next few paragraphs I’d like to take the opportunity to better acquaint you with some of the more popular cuts of steak.

So for starters, what is a steak? Yeah, obviously it’s meat but what is it that qualifies a cut of meat as a steak?  In the most general way a steak is a piece of meat that can be classified as something “fast-cooking”.  What this means is that the beef itself is low enough in connective tissue that an extended amount of cooking time isn’t necessary.  The biggest difference between a steak and a roast really is the size.

It’s true that the cheaper cuts such as skirt steak, flank steak and sirloin are becoming increasingly popular these days.  However, some the best cuts are still coming from the Longissimus dorsi and the Psoas major.  The tenderness of a steak is inversely related to how much work a muscle does during a cow’s lifetime.  The two previously mentioned muscles are extremely tender which makes them ideal candidates for a delicious steak.  From these two large cuts come a number of other smaller cuts that you’d find at any typical butcher shop.

Let’s start with the Ribeye, a cut from the front end of the Longissimus dorsi.  This is a highly marbled piece of meat with a large swath of fat separating the Longissiumus from the Spinalis.  With beef, fat is where the distinctive flavor comes from.  Because of this ribeye is one of the richest cuts out there.   When it comes to cooking this tasty slab grilling, pan-frying and broiling are your best bets.

Now onto the New York Strip steak.  This cut comes from the rear-end of Longissimus dorsi muscle just behind the ribs.  It is moderately tender with good marbling and an intense beefy flavor.  This is by far one of the favorites in all steakhouses.  This cut is easy to grill because it has less fat and therefore causes less flareups.  You can also pan-fry or broil it although obviously in terms of Argentine Asado this wouldn’t be acceptable let alone ideal.

The Tenderloin sold as Filet or filet mignon is cut from the central section of the Psoas major muscle.  It is an extremely tender piece of beef with a buttery texture.  It’s low in fat and because of this it is also relatively low in flavor.  The tenderloin tends to cook much faster than other cuts because it is so low in fat.  Pan-frying in oil and then basting it in butter is a common method of cooking because it adds some richness to this meat, which is prone to drying out.  Another popular method of cooking a filet mignon is to wrap it in bacon.  It’s essentially the same idea as the butter in that it helps to add some richness in flavor.

Another extremely popular cut we have is the T-Bone steak known as a porterhouse.  What’s cool about the T-bone is that you’re getting two different cuts in one.  It’s comprised of a piece of strip as well as a piece of tenderloin that’s separated by a T-shaped bone.  It comes from the front end of the short line.  Grilling is hands down the best method to cook this steak.  The only thing to be mindful of is overcooking the tenderloin before the piece of strip is done.  What is so convenient about grilling it is that you can control what section of the meat is near the hotter end of the grill.

 

Argentina Steak: Ojo de bife in Buenos Aires

The relatively unknown ojo de bife is considered one of the most versatile and tasty steaks that Argentina has to offer. It can be baked or grilled and can be seasoned with herbs and mustard or a simple salt rub as is the common method of Buenos Aires parrillas (Buenos Aires steakhouses). It consists of the Longissimus dorsi muscle which is taken from a larger cut of beef known in Spanish as bife ancho and in English as the rib-eye. The rib-eye is trimmed of the spinalis dorsi, longissimus costarum, and multifidus dorsi which contain the majority of the fat and membranes. What is left is a satisfying cut of Argentine steak with the tenderness of bife de lomo (beef tenderloin) and a unique flavor that rivals that of an entrana (flank steak) or a bife de chorizo (New York strip). 

The ojo de bife earns its mouthwatering “sabor” from a perfect amount of marbling (lines of fat between the muscles of the meat that give the beef flavor). Despite the various different ways to prepare these steaks, it is only on the parrilla (grill) that the full potential of ojo de bife’s flavors is realized. It is custom in the majority of Argentine asados (steak dinners) that the only necessary seasoning is salt.

So if you want to experience an authentic ojo de bife, I recommend that you bypass the herb and mustard seasoning mentioned beforehand and do as the Argentines do. However, you should only add the salt after they have already cooked 5 minutes on each side with high heat. Then, move the steaks to medium heat where you let them rest until juices start to emerge. Careful not to fall under the spell of the aroma at this point, and allow yourself to flip them one more time until yet again the juices begin to flow. At this time, you know that your Argentine steak dinner is finished and should be served immediately while it is still hot. And if you are not too handy with a grill, make the trip to Buenos Aires where you will find the best ojo de bife around.

El ojo de bife, un corte relativamente desconocido, se considera uno de los bifes más versátiles y saborosos que puede ofrecer la Argentina. Se puede ser horneado o asado, y tiene varias maneras de preparación que incluye una guarnición de hierbas y mostaza o una adición sencilla de sal como se hace en las parrillas de Buenos Aires. El ojo de bife consiste en el músculo longissimus dorsi el cual se deriva de un corte más grande. El carnicero corta los músculos spinalis dorsi, longissimus costarum y multifidus dorsi los cuales contienen la mayoría de la grasa y de las membranas. Lo que queda es un corte satisfactorio de carne argentina con la ternura de bife de lomo y un sabor único que rivaliza con el de un entraña o un bife de chorizo. El ojo de bife gana su sabor de una cantidad perfecta del marmoleo. A pesar de las varias maneras de preparar estos bifes, es sólo a la parrilla que el potencial de los sabores de ojo de bife se realiza.

Es costumbre en la mayoría de los asados argentinos que lo único necesario condimento es la sal. Por lo tanto si querés experimentar un auténtico ojo de bife, recomiendo que se omite la mezcla de hierba y mostaza mencionada previamente y que haces como los argentinos hacen. Sin embargo, sólo se debe añadir la sal después de que los bifes han cocinado 5 minutos por cada lado con fuego alto. A continuación, mueva los filetes a fuego medio, donde se les deja descansar hasta que los jugos comienzan a emerger.

Con cuidado de no caer bajo el hechizo de su aroma en este punto, y permita que voltear una vez más, hasta que los jugos empiezan a fluir otra vez. En este momento, sabes que la comida se termina y se debe servir inmediatamente, mientras todavía está caliente. Y si no está muy hábil con la parrilla, haz un viaje a Buenos Aires donde se encuentra el mejor ojo de bife en el mundo.

 

Argentina Steak: Entrana in Buenos Aires

The entrana is one of the lesser known components of an Argentine asado (steak dinner) that is just now beginning to gain recognition as an ideal choice for grilling. It is a long, thin cut from the diaphragm muscle of the cow that can be less tender than your extremely succulent Argentine cuts, such as bife de lomo (beef tenderloin), vacio (flank steak), or bife de chorizo (New York strip).

However, when cooked in the traditional Argentine manner you will find that this steak is full of flavor. Helping gain its recent popularity in the Buenos Aires “parrillas” (steakhouse) is the fact that it is a relatively inexpensive option. The skirt steak, as it is referred to in English, often comes with a thick layer of fat and muscle membrane. It is up to the “asador” (grill master) whether or not to trim it before grilling. Leaving it on allows the flavorful entrana to retain its juices and develop a crispy exterior, whereas removing it eliminates having to manage the toughness of the membrane.

As far as preparation goes, a simple salt rub will provide an emphasis on the natural flavors of the steak, but it is often left to marinade in chimichurri (an original Argentine grilling sauce) before grilling to help tenderize the meat. Due to the thin nature of this cut, not much cook time is required (between 5 and 7 minutes per side), and therefore, it is sometimes used as an appetizer for an Argentine asado whilst the rest of the meat that takes longer, like your vacio, is left to roast. If served as the main entrée, it is recommended that the entrana be served alongside chips and a salad which greatly compliment this flank steak on a night out in Buenos Aires.

 

La entraña es uno de los elementos menos conocidos de un asado argentino que hasta ahora, está  empezando a ganar reconocimiento como una opción ideal para asar a la parrilla. Se trata de un largo y delgado corte del músculo del diafragma de la vaca, que puede ser menos sensible que los cortes argentinos muy suculentos, como bife de lomo (solomillo de ternera), vacio (arrachera) o bife de chorizo. Sin embargo, cuando se cocinan a la manera tradicional argentina se encuentra que esta carne está llena de sabor. Como fue su recién popularidad en las parrillas de Buenos Aires es el hecho de que es una opción relativamente barata. El bistec de falda, como se le conoce en inglés, a menudo viene con una gruesa capa de grasa y la membrana muscular. Corresponde a la “asador” (amo de la parrilla) o no lo ajustan antes de asar.

Dejando que permita en la entraña sabrosa para retener sus jugos y desarrollar un exterior crujiente, mientras que la eliminación que elimina tener que gestionar la resistencia de la membrana. Por lo que la preparación va, un simple roce sal proporcionará un énfasis en los sabores naturales de la carne, pero a menudo se deja marinar en chimichurri (una salsa original del asado) antes de asar para ayudar a ablandar la carne. Debido a la naturaleza fina de este corte, no es necesario cocinarla mucho tiempo (entre 5 y 7 minutos por cada lado), y por lo tanto, a veces se utiliza como un aperitivo para un asado argentino, mientras que el resto de la carne tarda más tiempo, como el vacio, se deja al asado.

Si se sirve como plato principal, se recomienda que la entraña se sirva junto con patatas fritas y ensalada, que complementan en gran medida esta arrachera en una noche en Buenos Aires.

 

Argentina Steak: Bife de Lomo in Buenos Aires

A genuine Argentine bife de lomo, or as it is translated in English beef tenderloin, is one of the most prized cuts of Argentine steak.

It is taken from the psoas major muscle of the cow which is located beneath the ribs and next to the backbone. In Buenos Aires bife de lomo is recognized as one of the tenderest cuts available since the muscle gets very little work as the cow grazes the plains of La Pampa or Buenos Aires Province. Bife de lomo although super tender can sometimes lack a little “sabor” in comparison to the super flavorful cuts that are bife de chorizo, ojo de bife, and the preferred Argentine cut tira de asado (beef short ribs).

The reason bife de lomo has a more mild flavor is that it has less marbling (the fat within the meat that dissolves during the cooking process making it quite tasty). Still, this does not keep this particular steak cut from being one of the most cherished and expensive in an Argentine asado (steak dinner). One reason for its popularity, aside from beef tenderloin’s tremendous succulence, is the variety of ways in which it can be prepared. In Argentina, it is not uncommon to find bife de lomo on the “parrilla” (grill) in its entirety, cut into steaks (chateaubriand, tournedo or filet mignon) or cubed with the intention skewering the beef.

When cooking this Argentine delicacy, one must keep in mind how lean the meat actually is, because if cooked too long, it will become dry, tough and chewy (this is as opposed to the classic Argentine way of grilling steak cuts like tira de asado (short ribs) and vacio (flank steak) which are much fattier cuts and can be grilled on the parrilla for hours). It is suggested that you cook over a hot fire with a relatively low rack to help seal in the juiciness that this steak has to offer. When cooking the steaks, you can expect to grill them for approximately 5-6 minutes per side. As for cooking a whole bife de lomo, each side will need about 10 minutes.

Be sure to take into account that other variables such as the amount of coals and the thickness of the cut itself must be factored in. Therefore, it is ultimately up to your judgment as the “asador” (grill man or grill master). In order to add a little extra flavor to the meat, you will find that an Argentine parrilla (Argentine steakhouse) will sometimes top bife de lomo with demi-glace and mushrooms or various creamy cheese sauces.