Argentine Bar-B-Q in Your Back Yard

2009-11-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

This brief tutorial will show you how to prepare a simple version of the typical Argentinian Bar-B-Q (asado) using ingredients you can buy at your corner grocery store. Though purists insist that Argentine "asado" must be prepared in a special kind of grill using only wood coal, you can go ahead and make it in your backyard’s coal or propane grill (remember, the idea here is to make it simple…).

The Meat

We will now show you the most popular cuts of meat in Argetina style "asado" (barbecue).

The cut of meat that should never be absent from a true Argentinian asado is the “asado de tira”. The American name of this cut of meat is chuck beef flanken style ribs. It is the star of Argentinian Bar-B-Q. It is usually grilled with the bone side down, facing the coals, but when the bone is cut thin it is OK to grill its side.

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After the “asado de tira” you can serve other cuts of meat. In order of preference, they can be:

The “vacio” or flank stake. This is the tender and flavorful cut also used to make fajitas.

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The “entraña” or skirt stake is another popular cut. Compared to flank steak it is a little tougher and has slightly more fat, which makes it an extremely flavorful cut. To make it more tender, cut it against the grain before eating.

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Now, if you really want to go all out, you can add other cuts, like the “bife de chorizo” or New York strip:

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or the “bife ancho” or rib eye steak:

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Although less common, you can also use lomo (filet mignon).

The trick when grilling steak Argentinian-style is to use good meat and to season it only with salt. You shouldn’t use regular salt but instead kosher salt, which is thicker. Pour salt over the meat generously, but do it only when the meat is already on the grill. If you salt the meat in advance it will become dry.

The Appetizers

There are several popular appetizers in Argentinian barbecue.

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The first one is the “chorizo” or sausage. Normally, you would serve 1 ½ chorizos per person. Many times, chorizo is served inside a generous piece of Argentinian bread in what is called a “choripan”. If you can’t get Argentinian sausage and bread, you can substitute them with Italian sausage and French bread.

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You can then serve “provoleta oreganata”, a ½” thick slice of provolone cheese sprinkled with oregano and olive oil. Be careful not to put in directly on the grill or it will melt. Put it on top of a piece of Aluminum foil, and position it to the side of the grill where the fire is not that hot; remove it before it starts melting.

Another favorite is the "empanada", a flavorful oven-baked pastry filled with ground beef or other ingredients like chicken, ham and cheese, tuna, etc. They are a little hard to make, so if you have an Argentine deli close by it is easier to just go and buy them there.

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Finally, although it doesn’t appeal to everybody, you can cook “morcilla” or blood sausage, if you can find it. However, chorizo and provoleta should be more than enough for most guests.

The Sides

Though French fries have become a popular side dish, the best companion for a good piece of grilled beef is a very simple salad made of lettuce, tomato and onion, sprinkled with a simple vinagrette. Good Argentinian barbecue is always heavy on the meat, so this simple salad is refreshing and doesn’t fill you up, leaving space for more meat!

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The Sauce: Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a typical parsley and garlic based Argentinian sauce served with grilled meats. You can make a basic chimichurri by combining the following ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• Salt to taste

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You can also add some finely chopped fresh red pepper and some red pepper flakes (to make it a little spicy).

Chimichurri goes great over grilled beef, but can also be poured over chicken or pork.

The Wine

No Argentinian asado is complete without some good Malbec wine. Malbec is Argentina’s most famous grape variety, and the type of wine that goes best with Argentinian barbecue. Malbec is still very much underrated in the U.S. which means that you can get great wine without spending a lot of money.

You can’t go wrong with these brands: Norton, Luigi Bosca, Trapiche, Catena, Doña Paula. You should be able to get entry level wine from any of those brands for around $10. In the $20 range, the Norton Reserva and Luigi Bosca DOC are exceptional, and your guests will think that they are drinking a much more expensive wine.

Argentine Barbecue

Argentine Bar-B-Q in Your Back Yard