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.
Steak Buenos Aires 