Asado: Argentine Barbecue
A Carnivorous Feast in Argentina; Big de Chorize, Morcilla and More
Feb 2, 2008
Argentine Asado, or Barbecue
For centuries, Argentina has been one of the world’s leading producers of quality beef. In the old days, Argentine cowboys, known as gauchos, took care of vast herds of cattle on the pampas, or grasslands. These gauchos ate beef for every meal, cooking it over an open fire. Today, their descendents have opened parillas, or grilling houses, that feature a variety of cuts and slabs of meat that will leave a carnivore weeping with joy and that will send a vegetarian into therapy. Here’s what to try:
Bife de Chorizo: Not to be confused with chorizo, or spicy sausage, bife do chorizo is what we would call a strip steak. Always perfectly done and seasoned, it is probably the signature cut of beef for the locals: you can get it just about anywhere, including restaurants that do not specialize in asado.
Vacío: Often referred to in English as a flank steak, vacío is actually a bit different. In the USA, flank steak is a tough, flavorful cut best prepared in a marinade to soften it up. Vacío, which comes from the side or flank of the cow, has a thick layer of fat on one side. When grilled, the fat softens the meat, resulting in a tender, tasty, somewhat greasy piece of meat. Although not as popular as bife de chorizo, many veteran parilla-goers consider vacio to be their favorite cut.
Matambre: Matambre is a thin, sinewy, tough cut that needs to be prepared specially for it to be edible. When properly cooked, however, it is particularly delicious, and it is popular with Argentines. It is often rolled up with stuffing and vegetables to make matambre arollado.
Entraña: Entraña is a tough but tasty skirt steak. Entraña, in Spanish, can also mean entrails, or guts, but don’t worry; ordering entraña will not get you a steaming pile of intestines. It is usually heavily salted and then grilled for about a half-hour per side, resulting in a tender, tasty piece of meat.
Chorizo: Chorizo is a spicy sausage traditionally made with ground pork and a mixture of salt, garlic, paprika, sweet peppers and hot pepper. Each sausage maker has a slightly different recipe. The mixture and cooking take a bit of the bite out of the pepper, and the end result is not as fiery as it sounds. In Argentina, chorizo is occasionally made with beef or a beef-pork mixture: these chorizos are considered inferior by Argentines.
Morcilla (blood sausage) Morcilla is a small, black sausage made from a mixture of pig blood, rice, nuts and spices. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but Argentines swear by them. If you’re feeling brave, try one: they’re salty and mild.
Provoleta: Provoleta is the only non-meat traditionally cooked on a grill for an Argentine asado. It’s a form of provolone cheese, made a little harder than usual. It has one surprising characteristic: when grilled, it chars, as opposed to melting. The end result is a crispy, tasty, salty treat, usually made more flavorful by adding some spices before grilling.
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