A little help from our friends in Argentina. I love asado but how to make it?

Can you get an Argentine steer on the hoof in Italy?

I love this site . . .
Where else on the hunting/shooting forums would an American from Alaska, living in Italy ask about a recipe from Argentina and really expect an answer. I am actually very surprised that D99 has NOT received several versions of asado from the group on this site already!

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
A little help from our friends in Argentina. I love asado but how to make it?

From my very limited experience here is what you need.

Some good dry hard wood.
A parilla, or a bar b que grill of some sort.
Some good beef shortribs, with the natural fat on them.
Let the fire burn down to a good bed of coals.
rake a good many of the coals to the side so you have a thin, but hot layer remaining under the grill.
A little salt on the beef.
The grill about 6 or so inches above the coals.
Cook slowly for perhaps 30 minutes, adding coals from the sides as needed.
Then, a good Argentine Malbec, or a good Italian red wine, and a nice crusty Italian bread.
Enjoy. If you like to add a little chimichurri sauce, you can find recipes on the internet.

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
I love this site . . .
Where else on the hunting/shooting forums would an American from Alaska, living in Italy ask about a recipe from Argentina and really expect an answer. I am actually very surprised that D99 does NOT have several versions already!

I don't have several versions, but I have a few. I haven't had good luck with the beef in Italy as it's not of the quality we expect in America. That and lamb is horrid.

Since my father-in-law has a ranch in Argentina I have attended several "asados". But I never noticed that there was a specific beef recipe per se, just good beef cooked over hard wood fires. I have seen it done in principally two ways. First version is the hard wood coals are spread over an area, a low grill is placed above them, sides of beef are place on the grill and a piece of corrugated iron (like roofing tin) is placed on top of the whole thing. In the second approach a crucifix shaped iron support is driven into the ground in front of the coals and the sides of beef are attached to the support, which has the beef cooking in vertical plane. You pull out the knife in your belt and cut off pieces to eat. At least that it was how it was done on this particular ranch. There was no seasoning I was aware of.

Compared to the real Argentines that frequent this site, I am very hesitant to speak about their cooking. This site will get you started......here.

Wink is right, most of the "asados" I've seen use the iron cross to hold the meat, which can be anything from beef to lamb or pig. Grills are often used when time is more limited. But in Argentina beef is king and rightly so.....their "lomos", grass fed tenderloins (filet mignons) are wonderful. Try the restaurant "Las Nazarenas" next time you're in BA.

Just back from Argentina. The key to their asado is very slow cooking. I do not have a parilla, so I improvise. I take the grate off my outside portable fire pit, light some chunk charcoal. When the coals are ready I move most of the bigger pieces aside, leaving a light layer. I then put on an old grill I have which keeps the meat about 8 inches above. If more heat is needed as the cooking continues, I push a few more coals under the grill. For my short ribs it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to cook....

Last night I left the firepit on the deck. When I went out to turn my meat, my lab had consumed my sausage and two small antelope steaks! Another few minutes and my ribs would have been history as well. The pit will now be raised.

Asado al Cuero: take a yearling steer, gut and wash clean leaving the hide on. Sew the hide back together and roast in a pit for 25-30 hours. Dig it up and invite the town for a moist beef feed. Serve on stale french bread instead of a plate, bite off enough to chew comfortably and slice off with your knife. When the bread is soaked or the meat is gone wipe off your knife and toss the bread. I wish i was headed back soon. gianni

Hey Fat Cat(Gatogordo) Where in Buenos Aires is the restaurant located? Can you be more specific, it is a big city.

The answers are all correct.

I will bore you with a little of patriotism

The bad thing of being such a little country is that everyone thinks that the asados, the tango, the gauchos, etc, etc are exclusive from argentinians....

The gauchos (the real ones) were vagabonds who live from the killing of wild and not so wild cattle, it was a style of life in a time where the wire fences don't exist. What is known NOW as Argentine, Uruguay and southern Brazil were their roaming fields, every south american country has their "gaucho version", but the word gaucho belongs to Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, here is pronounced gaúsho (portuguese). They were people with no law at all, in case of problem they roll a poncho in one hand and a knife in the other. They love to fight and courage was something that they admire so they were use as main combat material during our independance wars against Spain first and later in our own revolutions.

The tango was a kind of music that at the beggining was only instrumental and it's NOT danced as you see in the shows, that is artistic tango, the real one is danced much more slowly. The most famous tango in the world is La Cumparsita and was written by an uruguayan called Mattos Rodriguez, later an argentinian put the "letter" and..."voila"...the Cumparsita is Argentinian

And to end my very interesting but intracendental comments I will add that our asados are much better than them..

L

The only thing that I give them a credit is with their women...they are in another league compared with the uruguayans.
L

quote:

Originally posted by h2oboy:
Hey Fat Cat(Gatogordo) Where in Buenos Aires is the restaurant located? Can you be more specific, it is a big city.

Well, 30 seconds with google came up with numerous hits, but here is one specific and one overview.....

Las Nazarenas

overview

Lorenzo:

Oh, I dunno, I am a big admirer of some Uruguayan women I've had the pleasure of.....

BTW, I can't recall the name, if it even has one, but one of the best meals I've ever had was in a stall in the Mercado Central where they were frying whole saltwater minnows and serving them with beer. Wow, makes me want to fly down there as I write this.

Majuga frita
They look like like baby pejerreys (another fish from down here very common either in fresh water or salt water depending the variety.
The majugas are from the ocean.

L

Lorenzo, Is Mandioca [spelling] also served at Uraguyan asados?

Gatogordo Thanks for the info. I was not sure if I had found the place you were talking about. I will check it out as I am planning a trip there next year.

MTGianni,
No mandioca down here, that's is more common in more northern countries (more tropical countries).

L

Lorenzo. When I come back to be invited to hunt on your brother in law's ranch, you must make an asado for me so I can compare. I will pass on the mandioca and the women.

It will be a pleasure
L

Lorenzo:

Now that you've come up with the words, I seem to recall them being pejerreys. Muy sabroso! 'Sta?

Hey Lorenzo !

When are you finally going to accept that not only our women are amongst the most beautiful ones,but that we also have better wines, better cows, better trophies, better shooters, do the best asados, and of course have longer & bigger "knives"?

The Gauchos´ topic was fairly well explained (actually they mainly lived in an era and place where not Argentina nor Uruguay formerly existed, in fact these two countries integrated - with most Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Chile - a political unit named Virreinato del Rio de la Plata, which was a colony of Spain and being Buenos Aires its capital city .....

But as what the Tango concerns (speaking about both its dancers and its singers) in fact its area of influence (and biggest development) should be understood not just from a political view but rather from a geographical one....

Thus, it was always said that the Tango is "rioplatense" meaning its area of development was around all the Rio de la Plata zone, and here we speak mainly of two sttlements: the great city of Buenos Aires (western coast of Rio de la Plata) which can be understood as the prime zone, and .... eh... well, some other little village whose name I can´t recall just now, settled somewhere nearby the east side of this river ...

I am not sure, but think it was called something like Mount Video or something like that .... nowadays I was told that in that place you can find some rather acceptable copies of everything concerning the argentinian culture and idiosincracy and, applying the chinese commercial method, there they are trying to convince everyone who might be thereby that those copies are better than the original ones used as models !!

So please be aware and don´t allow yourselves to be cheated with fake copies !! Look only for originals (understanding this as "come to Argentina" ) and you won´t be dissapointed !!!

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
A little help from our friends in Argentina. I love asado but how to make it?

From my very limited experience here is what you need.

Some good dry hard wood.
A parilla, or a bar b que grill of some sort.
Some good beef shortribs, with the natural fat on them.
Let the fire burn down to a good bed of coals.
rake a good many of the coals to the side so you have a thin, but hot layer remaining under the grill.
A little salt on the beef.
The grill about 6 or so inches above the coals.
Cook slowly for perhaps 30 minutes, adding coals from the sides as needed.
Then, a good Argentine Malbec, or a good Italian red wine, and a nice crusty Italian bread.
Enjoy. If you like to add a little chimichurri sauce, you can find recipes on the internet.
<img src="https://forums.accuratereloading.com/cheers.gif" alt="cheers" width="60" height="40"><!--graemlin::cheers:-->

Just perfect, Bill !!

You have been awarded the official argentine diploma of "parrillero" (asado cooker, master grade)!!

Next time you come down here to visit us, you will do the asado !!

Martin. Every time I see that picture I get hungry, even right after dinner. I have also learned how to make a truly excellent chimichurri. Made a fresh batch today and served it with some tender grilled chicken. Since I was alone at the table there was no criticism. As well, there was no complaint on a fine Malbec.
I cut firewood today and had a great appetite. I must send in a new picture. I have lost a good bit of weight, shaved off the beard and moustache, and am ready to return, learn the tango and open a parilla restaurant. Free meals to Uruguayans.

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:
Martin. Every time I see that picture I get hungry, even right after dinner. I have also learned how to make a truly excellent chimichurri. Made a fresh batch today and served it with some tender grilled chicken. Since I was alone at the table there was no criticism. As well, there was no complaint on a fine Malbec.
I cut firewood today and had a great appetite. I must send in a new picture. (...):

Seems that you are having a great time, Bill !! I am glad to read that

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:
(.....) I have lost a good bit of weight, shaved off the beard and moustache, and am ready to return, learn the tango and open a parilla restaurant. Free meals to Uruguayans.

Good for you !!
But be ware... seems that so many good changes are letting you write some things that could bring you some serious problems ... in fact I am pretty much concerned about your last sentence, believe me: edit that part before our uruguayan member reads it !!

Be carefull Bill so the Uruguyans dont eat you out of business....



Wonderfull restaurant you were at, and i wish beef quality like that would be availbale over here also.

Its much good meat and that is venison, the ordinary store bought beef needs to be cooked tender in the oven, before i like it, but barbequaing, wonderfull.

For any Uruguayan who wants to eat good asado, with excellent Argentine wine, and a good chimichurri, ask and I will send you my address in Pinetop. My chimichurri is so good that I am told, on good authority, that if I walked through the Recoleta with a bowl of it, Evita Peron would rise from the dead. Even without Viagra. And that's no

Bill
Leave Evita where she is

quote:

a crucifix shaped iron support is driven into the ground in front of the coals and the sides of beef are attached to the support, which has the beef cooking in vertical plane. You pull out the knife in your belt and cut off pieces to eat. At least that it was how it was done on this particular ranch. There was no seasoning I was aware of.

i don't claim to be an expert in asado, but this dovetails with what i know about it as well.

The best asado on earth is with Lorenzo Marrio & his father just ask Scruffy.

Although we had asado several places the absolute best was out in the middle of nowhere. We stopped at this glorified shack with an open firpit as a kitchen. Meat was butchered there as well. Absolutely the best we had. We were the only out of towners there and I think I can safely say they didnt usually see tourists.