| Argentinean asado: know how the experts cook | | | | the bone part towards the embers. Be very careful |
| barbecue. | | | | that no fire starts between the embers, this would burn |
| 1- Start early | | | | the asado. |
| To make a good asado, you must start at least two | | | | 7- Add sausages or innards after 20 minutes |
| hours before dinner time. | | | | If you are adding sausages or innards (traditional in |
| 2- Clean the barbecue grill thoroughly (ideally a parrilla | | | | Argentinean and Uruguayan barbecues) this is the |
| as it is used in Argentina and Uruguay: an iron grill | | | | moment to add them, when the meat has been for |
| usually set in the backyard with a brick base or placed | | | | about twenty minutes already in the parrilla or grill. This |
| in a brick oven). | | | | way you will start having the sausages ready in a half |
| The first step for a good asado is to have the | | | | hour, and can start bringing them to the table. The |
| barbecue grill very clean, and a good fire started. | | | | innards will be getting done soon too, while the meat is |
| 3- Have a good fire started in the right way | | | | still in the grill. You can also add on the grill some red |
| Fire should be made with wood, starting it with cone | | | | peppers, skin down, then skin up, and when done, |
| pines, never, never use chemicals to start the asado | | | | serve them with the meat. |
| fire. This lets gases come out and will give a poor | | | | 8- Be careful with the salt! |
| taste to your meat. So you must only use paper, little | | | | Never salt the meat while it is getting cooked. This will |
| branches, or wood. Do not buy wood of smelling trees, | | | | cause the meat to loose all the juice and it will be too |
| like eucalyptus or pine trees, as they also leave a | | | | dried when the cooking time finishes. When the meat is |
| different smell which will spoil the meat taste. Do not | | | | almost done, turn it around, bones up, just for a few |
| use charcoal either, as it does not make smoke and | | | | minutes so it gets a nice color. Then turn it bones to |
| thus meat will loose some extra flavor given by the | | | | the fire again, and salt it, and continue cooking for a |
| smoke. | | | | few minutes more until is ready. |
| 4- Wait until you have enough embers. | | | | 9- Do not use salt directly. |
| Put the embers under the grill, making a big circle. | | | | In Uruguay and Argentina we prepare brine made with |
| This is going to start warming the grill (or parrilla). | | | | salt, water, oregano, and maybe some chopped garlic |
| Embers should be under the grill at about 30 | | | | if you want a stronger taste. But the real Uruguayan |
| centimeters or 40 centimeters below it, always in a big | | | | and Argentinean asado [out] only takes the brine made |
| circle, so that the heat goes to the middle of the grill. | | | | of salt and water. The good taste must come out of |
| 5- Put the meat on the grill at the right time | | | | the good meat you bought and the careful selection of |
| When much of the wood turned to embers, then | | | | the wood used in it, and the care given to it, making |
| would be time to put the meat on the grill. So once | | | | sure it does not get burned in the grill. |
| there are embers placed under the grill and more keep | | | | 10- Serve it with good red wine, such as Cabernet, |
| coming, put the meat on the fire. | | | | Merloc, Tannat, or Malbec. |
| 6- The bones go towards the embers | | | | Enjoy yourselves! |
| Always buy a large and wide strip of rib bones, putting | | | | |