This post is included in a serie of posts about Argentinian Dishes included in the #TeamChallenge series about Living Argentina. In this occasion, I want to write about ASADO.
One of the dishes from which Argentinians are most known in the world, without doubt is the “ASADO”. And the questions and doubts that arise around this typical Argentine preparation are a lot and very varied. In this post I will try to answer a few of those questions, and try to transport you to our beloved country, so you can live with us the characteristic ritual of the “asado criollo”.
- What is the asado? - According to Wikipedia, “the asado, is a cooking technique by which, the food is exposed to fire or embers to be cooked slowly. The fire is obtained from charcoal or wood, and although the most commonly used ingredient is beef, also pork, lamb, kid, fish, chicken, various sausages, and in some cases, vegetables can be found on the grid.”
It’s exactly that! Meat that is cooked slowly over charcoal or firewood. But … Attention! It is not done directly over the fire … it is necessary to wait for the fire to be extinguished and only when there are burning embers, the meat is set to roast. Another important detail is that we do not use grills with a lid to roast the meat, but it is done in grills made of volcanic stones or with thermal ceramic bricks, which gives the meat an special touch.
- And how did Argentines start the tradition of the asado? - Actually, it wasn’t us Argentines who invented roast meat, but we did this type of cooking something very characteristic of the area. It is believed that the asado began in Argentina around 1556 when the first cows arrived in what was then the Virreinato del Río de la Plata. At the beginning, a twenty-centimeter hole was made in the ground with a “facón” (a big knife that gauchos used to use). A bonfire was made in the hole, and there the meat was cooked. With the passing of time, the methods of conservation and cooking were improved, until arriving at what today is an “asado”.
- And how is it done? - The asado is done by the “parrillero” or “asador” (the person that prepares the asado) and all the guests collaborate. The parrillero ignites the fire and controls the cooking, and everyone else prepares the salads, they serve the wine or the beer, cut some cheese and salami for the “picada”, lay the table, and entertain and accompany the parrillero during the whole process.
- Do all Argentines know how to make asados? - Juan Pablo Meneses, a Chilean writer, once said, “Although books on how to make good meat are published, no text seems to overcome the intuition of the expert roaster that every Argentinian carries inside”.
Thank you for your beautiful words Juan Pablo! However, despite what our good Chilean friend says, we must clarify that not all Argentines know how to make asados. Only some are those who can boast of being good “parrilleros”, but what is certain is that almost all of us Argentines, have either eaten or taken part in lots of asados throughout our lifetime.
- What is the asado served with? - Usually with salad, with as many options as you can possibly combine vegetables (raw or cooked) It is also usually accompanied with French fries, or mashed potatoes, or we simply eat the meat alone or with dressings, such as “salsa criolla” (mixture of peppers, onions and tomatoes) or “chimichurri” (mixture of parsley, oregano, garlic and onion).
- What about drinks? What do you drink with the asado? - A good asado is usually served with some good Malbec or Cabernet red wine, or with a cold beer, but there are also people who prefer it with soda or other non-alcoholic beverages. Another common drink in an asado is the Fernet with Coca Cola, this drink consists of an italian liqueur of bitter herbs, mixed with Coke and ice. It is usually shared while everyone waits for the meat to be ready.
- Interesting! But … What motivates an Argentine to make an asado? - Asados are organized for no reason on Sundays as a family activity, or on Saturdays at night for friends, and also for special events such as birthdays, wedding parties, national holidays, religious or political events, among many others. For an Argentine, any excuse is good to join to “comer un asado” (eat an asado), “tirar una carne al fuego” (throw a meat on the fire), or “hacer unos choris a la parrilla” (prepare some sausages on the grill).
- Why in Argentina does asado meat taste different than in other places? - Argentina is, first of all, a country that produces beef from ancient times. Our fields are huge expanses of land where animals can move and graze freely. Our cows could be said to spend a happy life, outdoors.This produces meat that is not tough and that has a special flavor that does not require spices at the time of consuming it.
On the other hand, the meat cuts. In Argentina we make special cuts for the grill, focusing on the right combination of meat, fat and bone and that facilitates the cooking and distribution of the heat once it is put to cook. To finish, the slow cooking time and the shape of the grills end up giving the perfect flavour to the meat.
- Cool! And if I go to Argentina … Where can I eat a good asado? - In Argentina there are lots of places (called “Parrillas”) where you can eat a good barbecue. However, not all grills do it in the best way, since they sometimes speed up the cooking process, often “marking” the meat, pre-cooking it and reserving it for a while before putting it on the grill, as not to have the clustomers to wait. This alters both the flavour and texture, diminishing quality.
So to live the best experience, it is advisable to consult with a local before choosing the place. If you are in Buenos Aires and do not have anyone to ask, a short time ago @Jesi organized a Food Crawl Meet-Up on the grill Los Chanchitos and we had a spectacular asado. I leave the linkhere so you can take advantage of it.
And if you have the opportunity to get invited to eat an asado prepared in a house … Do not miss it! The ritual is quite a worthwhile experience, and the meat that you are going to taste will surely be much better than the one served in any Parrilla.
And finally … I want to share with you with a phrase that can not be left out at any typical Asado… ¡UN APLAUSO PARA EL ASADOR! (something like Cheers for the chef!).
Well, it’s all about the asado by now … Do you have other doubts? Do you want to share some tip for those who start in the task of the asado? Do you want to recommend a good place to eat a good asado? Did you write any other post about the asado and want to share it? Go on and share it with us in the comments!
This post is included in the series about Argentina, included in the Team Challenge proposed by @ermest. This series is oriented to introduce our country, its culture and traditions.
We invite you to know more about our country, reading the post series Living Argentina.
You can find all the posts of this series searching by the hashtags #teamChallenge and #teamArgentina.
Since it’s slowly cooked, how long do we wait if we order it in a restaurant? Thank you for sharing this mouth watering Asado with us.
