Steak Buenos Aires: Dinner for 10!

Guest Post:

Last night Steaks by Luis held it’s biggest event yet!  10 hungry guests showed up around 8:30 to join in on a fabulous picada with a sampling of various meats and cheeses accompanied by a glass (or two) of a spectacular Argentine sparkling wine.  The atmosphere was jovial as the guests mixed and mingled for a half hour getting to know each other better.  Luis, the asador (grill-master) wants you to feel like you’re at home and that you too are a member of his group of friends and family.

After the picada our host took us on a tour through the kitchen where we got to ‘meet our meat’.  Luis left the parrilla and joined us  to explain, in Spanish, what all we were going to be eating.  No worries folks, speaking Spanish is not a prerequisite for this event.  Tomás, our host, was kind enough to translate everything Luis had to say.  There’s something to be said for getting a lesson on Argentine beef from an actual Argentine in Spanish.

Meat

It’s a very different experience being up close and personal with an enormous, perfectly marbled, beautifully colored slab of beef.  Huge hunk doesn’t even begin to describe it; no puny steaks here that’s for sure.  Next to the steaks sat another tray piled high with all sorts of different goodies.  As Luis explained these were going to be our starters.  There were several different types of sausages, ribs tips, and a pork something or other all of which looked delectable.

We returned to the table and our host poured us a glass of white wine which paired well with the ensalada mixta (mixed salad).  As Tomas explained this salad is a staple at any asado but they’ve taken the liberty of jazzing it up a bit by adding fresh slices of orange and a some parmesan shavings.

When our salad course was finished Tomas invited us to step out onto the deck to see up close and personal everything that Luis was doing.  What was so fantastic about this space that the entire place is floor to ceiling windows.  Essentially it’s set up like a theater and Luis and the ribeye along with the parrilla take center stage. I ventured out on the deck and the first thing that hits you is the wonderfully aromatic smoke, a perfect combination of charcoal and meat that makes your mouth salivate profusely.  Next is the sheer size of the enormous grill.  It was a beautiful thing.

We sat back down at the table and not long after, three massive trays with a medley of meats came to the table.  Serving family style, we all help ourselves to the awe-inspiring spread of meats.  With the amount of food served up to this point it was hard to believe that we still hadn’t even come to the main course yet.

The ribeye arrived and our jaws dropped.  Beautifully plated with a homemade tinted salt and a garnish of parsley and paprika I began to devise my plan of attack for the 16 ounces of beef before me.    Perfectly cooked to my liking, I just dove into it eating until I felt like I was going to burst but not long after I knew that the Argentine beef had won.  It seemed as though it was never ending.  When the plates were cleared and I vowed to myself that I wasn’t going to eat anything else for at least 2 days, Tomas announced that we had one final course, dessert.  As it turns out Luis is not only talented with the grill but he’s also a fantastic baker.  To end our meal we were presented with a piece of dulce de leche cheesecake plated so stunningly that it was almost too pretty to eat.  No worries though, I got over this quickly and savored every mind-blowing bite.

All in all it was a tremendous evening filled with good company, great food, and delicious wine.  How can you go wrong with that?

 

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.

 

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.

 

Best Buenos Aires Steakhouses: Chiquilín

Going strong for over 80 years, Chiquilín is a fairly large and comfortable Buenos Aires steakhouse with a classic atmosphere that adds to its personality. Located in the city’s center, just a block away from Corrientes Avenue, it is an accessible place, surrounded by some prestigious Buenos Aires theaters. Chiquilin has earned a reputation for its consistent quality and maintains high standards making it a tourist hot spot. Its decor consists of potted plants, sacks of dry cured ham, antique ceiling fans that hang from the rafters and walls of wine. But what really makes them stand out is the high quality of their food and argentine steaks. Now, despite their impeccable reputation the prices are always reasonable, including their extensive wine list.

The clientele is very diverse from lawyers and judges in the daytime and at night the refined bohemian style, decorated with pictures and paintings offers a different climate, enjoyed by the people in show business, music and media, as well as the ever demanding tourist, who are eager to know the locals preferred spots in town..

This place takes their cooking seriously, making great steak heir main principal. That is why they provide exclusive Aberdeen Angus Certifies Special Cuts. In Argentina, these are prized specimens that are carefully selected, and raised with the best pasture, which helps obtain a healthy, natural and tender meat, recognized worldwide. When visiting I strongly recommend: bife de chorizo (sirloin strip steak), ojo de bife (rib-eye), asado de centro (cross cut ribs), tenderloin in pepper sauce, Sole in shrimp sauce, basil crêpes with a spinach and cream-cheese filling in leeks sauce, amongst others. Their menu offers variety and is proven to satisfy anyones demanding needs. The greatest thing is that they have a wide wine and Champagne list at your disposal. You get the best of both worlds here, a great argentine steak followed by a matching wine. Amongst its multiple services, Chiquilin provides 2 hours of free parking for its customers as well as valet parking during the nights. A Buenos Aires must do experience.

¡Buen provecho!

Por más de 80 años sigue con gran éxito, el restaurante de parrilla Chiquilín, lo cual es muy espacioso y  muy cómodo con un ambiente clásico que le da su propia personalidad. Está en el centro de la ciudad, a sólo una cuadra de la Avenida Corrientes, es muy fácil de encontrar, también está rodeado de algunos prestigiosos teatros de Buenos Aires. El Chiquilín ha ganado su excelente reputación por su gran calidad y por  seguir manteniendo ese nivel que a trae a muchos turistas. Su decoración se compone de plantas en macetas, sacos de jamón curado en seco, ventiladores de techo antiguos que cuelgan de las vigas del techo y las paredes de vino. Pero lo que realmente lo hace destacar es la alta calidad de sus alimentos y carnes argentinas. Ahora, a pesar de su impecable reputación de los precios son siempre razonables, incluyendo su extensa carta de vinos.

La clientela es muy diversa desde abogados y jueces en el día y en la noche el estilo bohemio refinado, decorado con cuadros y pinturas ofrece un clima diferente, disfrutado por la gente del mundo del espectáculo, la música y los medios de comunicación, así como el turista cada vez más exigente, que están ansiosos por conocer los lugareños lugares preferidos de la ciudad.

Este lugar toma su rol en la concina muy en serio, tomando el filete de carne como su sello principal. Es por eso que ofrecen exclusivos Aberdeen Angus Certifica cortes especiales. En Argentina, se trata de ejemplares premiados que han sido cuidadosamente seleccionados y criados con los mejores pastos, lo que ayuda a obtener una carne sana, natural y tierna, reconocida por todo el mundo. Durante su visita le recomiendo: bife de chorizo, ojo de bife, asado de centro, solomillo a la pimienta, lenguado en salsa de camarones, crêpes albahaca con espinacas y crema -relleno de queso en salsa de puerros, entre otros. Su menú ofrece una gran variedad y se ha demostrado que satisface a clientes exigentes. La cosa más importante es que tienen una amplia carta de vinos y Champagne a su disposición. Usted obtiene lo mejor de ambos mundos, aquí, un gran asador argentino seguido de un vino a juego. Entre sus múltiples servicios, Chiquilín ofrece 2 horas de estacionamiento gratuito para sus clientes, así como servicio de aparcacoches durante las noches. El Chiquilín es uno de los restaurantes que no se lo puede perder si viene a Buenos Aires.

¡Buen provecho!