LA TAPA DE ASADO! TERRIBLEMENTE BUENA!!!

Tapa de Asado: Uno de los terriblemente (aquí en Argentina lo terrible puede ser muy bueno también) mas solicitados cortes de carne del país. Pese a toda la investigación que he hecho (incluyendo comer una gran cantidad de carne de res), yo nunca había encontrado un equivalente en otro idioma acerca de este maravilloso corte. Asado, como ustedes saben, si alguna vez han leído algo sobre este blog, se refiere a la barbacoa al estilo argentino. Esto no se debe confundir con la tira de asado, que es otro corte de carne. Esta es solo una primera pista en cuanto a de donde viene la Tapa de Asado.

Tira de asado (también conocida simplemente como Asado, a modo de abreviación) son las costillas de la res cortadas transversalmente. La tapa de asado se refiere esencialmente a la carne que cubre la parte superior y la parte delantera de estas costillas. Dependiendo de cómo uno lo prefiera, se puede pedir tira de asado, con o sin tapa. Sin embargo, es más común pedir estos cortes de carne por separado. La tapa de asado es un corte sin hueso de forma rectangular. Suele ser muy gruesa y tiene una gran capa de grasa a un lado. Ese costado de “grasita” no es muy grueso, y ademas es comestible. El resto del corte es bastante magro de todas formas. Otro aspecto interesante de La Tapa, es que por lo general, dependiendo de su calidad, suele ser bastante más barato que otros cortes destinados a la parrilla por lo que siempre es una ventaja.

Si me preguntan cual es la mejor forma de comer La Tapa, seria un delicioso punto JUGOSO. Cuando se cocina más allá de este punto tiende a ser fibrosa y dura. Incluso aquí, en Argentina, donde generalmente se piensa que comer un bife jugoso puede llevar a la muerte, dicen que es más común cocinar este corte menos tiempo que otros. Si bien no es la mas tierna de las carnes, es absolutamente asombroso la cantidad de sabor que esta maravillosa pieza nos puede brindar. Eso si! Extrema paciencia a la hora de cocinar en la Parrilla. Tarda más que cualquiera de los otros cortes tradicionales parrilleros. Yo recomiendo cocinar a calor medio-bajo sobre las brasas por alrededor de media hora por cada lado. Cuando cocinamos correctamente la tapa de asado a la parrilla es una magnífica elección.

UN APLAUSO PARA EL ASADOR!!!

 

Steak Buenos Aires: The Infamous Parrillada Revealed!

One item that you’re sure to run into exploring the various steak restaurants in Buenos Aires or anywhere in South America is the famed parrillada.  The parrillada is a plethora of the most famous selections of meats, sausages, and other items most characteristic to the asado style of the local area.  Every place is different, and to be honest all parrilladas are a real treat to be shared with friends and family.  But here in Argentina we take pride in assembling parrilladas fit for the taste buds of the most supreme meat lovers, and today I’m going to walk you through exactly what this wonderful platter of meat entails!

Lets start with the Sausages! An Argentine parrillada isn’t complete without the two characteristic sausages of the region: El Chorizo (Pork Sausage with spices) and Morcilla (Blood Sausage).

The Chorizo is vibrantly red in color and contains a sweet yet spicy flavor with a tougher more contained consistency where as the Morcilla is mushier on the inside containing very bold and contrasting flavors.  The combination of the two is something to die for as you get to experience both ends of the sausage spectrum in one sitting, and remember this is just the beginning!

No parrillada is complete without a helping of pork as well! Now many places will serve a typical cut of pork with the consistency of a pork chop, but that really isn’t the true Argentinian way.  If you want quality and authenticity then your parrillada better contain Matambre de cerdo (Pork Flank Steak). This is a cut of pork that is not very well known or bragged about in other parts of the globe, but it damn well should be.  When salted and tenderized correctly there is no pork better than this succulent slab of pig!  (Oh, and they also use this as the crust when making a matambre pizza, but that is a tale for another day!)

Now for the beef, the star of the show!  Many different cuts of steak are highlighted in the typical parrillada. The most common of them all is Tira de Asado de ternera (Beef short ribs).  When cooked correctly this is one of the most flavorful cuts of beef on the entire cow. Surrounded by the fat of the ribs the meat stays moist an dripping with flavorful juices.

Then there is the Bife de Costilla (small t-bone like steaks) which also hug the fat near the bone to draw their intense flavor into the meat.  These don’t always appear on the parrillada, but again if you’re trying to do this right, make sure they make an appearance.

The other popular cut is Bife de Lomo (Beef tenderloin).  While this cut doesnt contian as much flavor giving fat as the others, it wins the battle of tenderness by a mile and for this reason it is an excellent accent to the other fat bearing cuts.  The Bife de Lomo is all meat no muse, and is an absolute must have on the parrillada.

But steaks aren’t the only part of the cow used on the parrillada.  As scared as you may be to try the next two items, the parrillada really won’t be a parrillada at all without them.  Chinchulin are the small intestines of the cow and when marinated with lemons and salt then grilled to a crisp they are delicacy amongst Argentinians.  I’ll admit that for some these are an acquired taste, but will no doubt arrive on your parrillada and it would behoove you to give them a try.

Then there is Mollejas (sweetbreads).  These are a heart gland of the cow that contain more flavor than any other part of the animal in my opinion.  They are probably the most unhealthy thing for you that comes from a cow, but hell, you’re not exactly thinking about health benefits if you’re ordering a parrillada.  These are much more liked amongst newcomers than the Chinchulines, and if you can get over the shock of what they really are, you are sure to enjoy your first encounter!

This is what makes up the typical Argentinian parrillada and although you may receive a few more items than this in addition, as long as the above make an appearance you can consider it an official representation of Argentine Asado! Dig in!