Typical Argentine asado

When speaking of Argentina, we talk about Tango, soccer and also grilling. The Argentine “asado” is a unique culinary tradition. Usually the portenos (residents of Buenos Aires) eat an asado surrounded by their friends to have a good time either on Sundays watching soccer games or during the week celebrating something special.

In preparation of a typical barbecue in Argentina, you need to have all the different kinds of meat: bife de lomo (beef tenderloin), bife de chorizo (sirloin strip steak), tira de asado (short ribs), vacio (flank steak), ojo de bife (a specific cut from the ribeye), and entrana (skirt steak), as well as the “achuras”, chorizo (pork sausage) and morcilla (blood sausage).

After you have all the components of an Argentine asado, you have to light a fire with many coals on the grill. You must have charcoal, which like the original wood, has a longer combustion time than other coals. Now you have to wait nearly an hour for the perfect blaze to cook the steak. This means that the grill is not too hot. The secret to making a good and a typical Argentine asado is to salt the meat before you begin grilling the steaks.

Now you need to cook the meat slowly and on each side. You can complete the asado with vegetables and fries. For the vegetables, you must combine and roast chopped onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and peppers of all kinds. During this time, you can wait with a tasty Argentina wine and empanadas. When everything is ready, you have to try the steak with a typical Argentine sauce, which is ideal for all cuts of beef, called chimichurri. It consists of parsley, garlic, vinegar, ground red pepper (capsicum) and a little salt. As it is quite easy to do, many people prepare it themselves at home.

A serving size for four people requires 1 tablespoon of chili powder, oregano, paprika, minced garlic, parsley, and salt, 1 handful of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of lemon, and olive oil as needed. You have to mix everything and add olives at the last moment… Ready!

Now you know all the secrets of a great Argentine barbecue, hope you have a good time!