Before I move on into detailed explanations about the various cuts of beef for asado, I’d like to mention a few notes about this meat and Argentina. Argentina has been widely recognized and prized for its grass-fed beef. Hundreds of thousands of tons of beef are exported each year to countries around the world. Argentineans, alone, are one of the top consumers of beef in the whole world. Just how much? Various statistics show that the average Argentinean eats around 150 pounds, 66 kilos, of beef each year. Hopefully that will answer any questions you have regarding the quantities of meat that are prepared for an asado.

Although many fine restaurants around the world may served dry-aged beef from Argentina, most of the meat within the country is sold as fresh as possible. Also, much of the cattle in Argentina are grass-fed and therefore the meat contains less fat and more muscle than cattle raised on corn. Due to all of this, beef in Argentina has a much chewier and tougher texture but has a strong rich beefy flavor. Something that corn-fed beef often lacks. Thankfully, since the method of cooking asado involves a slower cooking process, the meat can actually end up quite tender if prepared properly. Some beef companies, however, do offer wet-aged beef cuts to butchers and grocers to sell throughout the country. These tend to be more expensive yet are often more tender.

Salchicha parrillera is like the tall thin brother of the chorizo. Compared to the chorizo there isn’t much difference except in texture and form. Most are made with the same meats and seasonings. One difference is that salchicha parrillera is offered in long thin casings; about the same width as a hot dog. The other difference is that due to having a smaller thickness, they tend to be have a dryer and crunchier texture.

Buying:

See Chorizo for signs of good quality.

How Much To Buy:

Since salchicha parrillera is sold in long strips it is better to buy per weight or length. If you are going to serve these along with chorizos, then you should figure about 1 lb. (about a 1/2 kilo) for every 3 people. If no chorizos will be served then about 1 lb. for 2 people or 1 kg for 5 people.

Cooking Directions:

Salchicha parrillera should shaped into a spiral form before cooking and they are almost always sold in this fashion. An easy way to keep it all together is to make sure the spiral is nice and tight. Then evenly insert three or four toothpicks around the outer edges to the inner rings.

Note: image coming soon

Place on the grill over a medium to low fire. Flip them over when the side facing the fire is crispy and juices start to flow on the top. They should be ready in about 20-30 minutes.

How To Eat:

Salchicha parrillera is best enjoyed with a fresh baguette and a good heaping spoon of chimichurri sauce.

Most people have a love or hate relationship with the morcilla; but only if they overcome the actual fear of trying one for the first time. You see, morcilla is a blood sausage, similar to what is known as black pudding in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Knowing that bit of information can turn away many who consider themselves true meat lovers from giving this particular type of sausage a try.

The main ingredients are pig’s blood and ground up pieces of pork or offal. Each butcher or producer has their own secret recipe but most contain some of the following seasonings such as salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, rice, breadcrumbs, and nuts. All of this is encased in regular sausage casings and is then precooked before being sold.

Buying:

Like chorizos, you’ll just have to scout around to find the right butcher or grocer that sells morcilla that fits your taste. Good morcillas range in color from a dark reddish brown to very dark brown.

How Much To Buy:

This can be tricky if you do not know whether or not any of your guests actually enjoy morcilla. For those who do eat them, about one sausage, if they are of the small variety, per person. Some varieties are quite large and can accommodate up to 2-3 people. When serving time arrives, if a few others blurt out that they like morcilla too, then divide up what you have. As long as you have enough of the other meats to fill everyone’s belly you’ll be fine. You are much better off ignoring a few grumbles about not having enough morcilla than ending up with a tray of untouched sausages later on.

Cooking Directions:

Since morcilla is already precooked, you only need to place them over a low fire long enough to warm them through. As soon as the casing is nice and crispy then they should be ready. The texture inside can be quite soft with some varieties so use the utmost care when handling them. By leaving them on the grill for too long or by piercing the skin can result in a nasty explosion or oozing mess.

How To Eat:

Morcillas are highly seasoned and therefore do not need any extra salt or sauce. Eat them alone to savor the blend of flavors and textures or place between two halves of a baguette.

In the section Types of Grills, I listed the various types that are popular for cooking an asado. Portable grills and flat table-type grills are easy to explain and visualize. The prefabricated grills that are found inside or outside of homes and restaurants can be visualized better through pictures.

This is an average-sized prefabricated parrilla for the home:

Dimensions of above grill:

Total: 84″ height x 57″ width

Left Grill Surface: 14″ length x 22″ width
Right Grill Surface: 27″ length x 22″ width

Min. Lowered Grill Surface: 6″ from bottom
Max Raised Grill Surface: 18″ from bottom

Close up view of the racks:

As you can see there are two chains on each side of the racks. The racks are balanced by guides attached to the chains that run along L-shaped or T-shaped beams on each side.

View from the side:

A lockable hand crank on the side allows you to adjust the height of the left grill rack. A similar crank is on the opposite side to control the height of the right grill rack.

The fire is usually started and maintained under the left rack. When the coals are ready they are spread around below the right rack; the main grilling area. A small amount is usually leftover so that, if needed, extra wood or coals can be added to prepare for later use. Because of this, the left rack is seldom used by some for cooking purposes and serves more as a warming section.

This site has been looking a little dull on the design side. I’ve added a Flickr image box to the sidebar on the right. I’ll also start inserting some images into the posts. Can’t have a food site without pictures. right? You’ll be able to find all pictures related to this site located in this set here

This will take some time so I hope you understand. Asado is good but lemme tell ya, I’m not going to cook or eat asado every day just to have a library of pictures for every cut of meat and other foods within a month.

Chorizo

This type is by far the most popular sausage grilled on a parrilla. Although, they are used for a variety of other dishes and recipes. The shape and texture resembles sausages found in many other parts of the world; large and plump. Beef or pork is the meat of choice and they are usually sold as links. The majority of those sold by butchers or grocers are seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic. Paprika, sweet red pepper, and hot chili pepper flakes in addition to the aforementioned ingredients are quite common as well and level of spiciness may vary. Also, some specialty versions can be found that may contain extra garlic, roasted red peppers, or a few herbs.

Buying:

It might take a little bit of trial and error to find the right chorizos to cook since each sausage maker has their own style and recipe. Some lower quality chorizos may contain large chunks of fat, bits of gristle, or meat that did not sell well a few days ago. Looks can be deceiving so you may not know until it is too late.

Fresh chorizo should have a good pinkish color all around and if any of these have a few gray spots or areas, you should avoid them. That is usually a sign of older meat that has been mixed in. Some chorizos may be aged for a day or two and usually have a uniform light grayish or brownish color, they should be fine. Always check with the butcher or grocer about when they were made. Also, make sure that that meat is well packed within the casing and that there are no pockets of air.

How Much To Buy:

You should at least buy one chorizo per person if other meats are going to be grilled. Add a few extra chorizos because there are always guests who want a second serving.

Cooking Directions:

Chorizos should be soaked in cold water for about 5 minutes before placing on the grill. This will help to prevent the casings from cracking or exploding. Place them over a low fire and cook for about 30-40 minutes depending on size and how well you manage the heat.

Whether or not to pierce the sausages while they are cooking is entirely up to you. Some prefer to keep the casings intact all the way to the tables while others don’t like their chorizos to be too juicy. Either way, you should always flip them with tongs instead of a fork so as not to create a large tear.

How To Eat:

The best and most popular method of eating chorizos is with bread. Slice them down the middle and place them between a two halves of a fresh piece of baguette along with a good dollop of chimichurri. Mmmmmm!

The most popular sausages cooked on parrilla are chorizo, morcilla, and salchicha parrillera. No asado is considered complete unless at least one of these types of sausages is served at the table. Consider these to be the pre-marathon warm-ups to the feast of meats that will soon follow. For sausages are usually typically the first meats to be served and eaten with copious amounts of bread. However, if one is not careful, they might end up eating too much and therefore ruin their appetite. That can be quite a difficult challenge for some.

Improperly preparing and lighting the fire needed to get the coals hot can cause a few problems. If you don’t have a good fuel source to get the starter fire going the flames will extinguish before the wood or charcoal has a chance to get a good burn going. If the wood or coals are stacked incorrectly you’ll either prevent air from fueling the fire or end up with half of the coals ready while the others haven’t even begun to acquire a good ash coating.

It is best to build your pile of coals in an area separate from where the meats will be grilled. Unless of course you are barbecuing small cuts of meat that only need a short period of cooking time. Argentineans like to cook their meat slowly, therefore coals often need to be replenished underneath the grilling surface. Throwing cold coals or wood on top of the hot coals below the meats can either offset the temperature or cause flames that will char the meat. Therefore, you need an area to get the wood or charcoal well prepared before replenishing.

Before stacking the wood or charcoal, you’ll need a good fuel source to get the fire going. Small broken pieces of wood such as those from fruit and vegetable crates are the most widely used along with twisted sheets of newspaper. These items light quickly and maintain a good flame long enough to get the wood or charcoal burning. They are stacked well enough so that they will burn well while at the same time allow air to circulate freely. A small quantity of coals or wood will be placed on top of this to begin the base of the fire for more coals that will be added later.

Purists will use nothing else to fuel the fire such as any highly flammable liquids or pellets. You’ll never find a good Argentinean asado cook using commercial lighter fluid to start a fire. Although many on the market burn off their flavor ruining properties before the meat is placed on the grill, there is that odd chance that some residue might reside on a few coals. Remember, everything has to be a natural as possible for preparing an asado. However, many people including myself will use pure ethyl alcohol to get the fire going. Ethyl is the type of alcohol in found in alcoholic beverages, not to be confused with rubbing alcohol, and is an extremely clean burning fuel. It is burned off rapidly and will not ruin the flavor of the grilled foods. In Argentina you can find liter bottles of this alcohol in supermarkets or pharmacies.

Light it up.

When a good fire is going it is best to fan the flames with something to increase the heat so that the wood or coals will get a good burn going. Be cautious however so that you don’t put the flames out before they are strong enough to withstand the fanning.

After the first few coals are burning well, you can then add more wood or charcoal on top of the stack.

Natural wood, what kind of question is that? Each cook has their own preference for what material to use for generating heat for the asado. Nothing can beat the flavor that is produced by wood but time, availability of materials, simplicity also play a role in what cook choses to create the ideal fire. The three sources are wood, briquettes, and lump charcoal.

Wood

As mentioned earlier, wood offers the best flavor to grilled meats. It also provides optimal heat that lasts longer than charcoal. The downside is that wood is difficult to light and at times hard to acquire, especially for the last minute asados. Wood needs to be well-dried before use and of a variety that is ideal for cooking. It takes longer a longer time to be ready to use under the grill and if additional coals are needed later on during the cooking process, you have to make sure to stack them on the side fire way ahead of time.

Briquettes

These are those pillow-shaped charcoals that are all uniform in size and popular in countries like the United States. Briquettes are usually a mixture of wood coals, sawdust, and binding materials. Some varieties even have lighter fluid embedded in them for easy starting. A big no-no in Argentina. Although sold in Argentina, even the slight purist would not be caught dead using briquettes. For those who enjoy asado try to stay as natural as popular. You never know what chemicals may reside in some varieties of briquettes.

Lump Charcoal

For the majority of asado cooks this is the most popular and preferred source of heat. Lump charcoal is 100% wood that partially burned and heated without oxygen so that the wood does not actually catch on fire. The process turns the wood into carbon while removing any impurities that may have resided in the wood. The end result is charcoal. When lump charcoal is lit and reaches the optimal level for use on the grill it is almost as good as regular wood for that it burns longer and provides good heat. Quality can often vary and if the charcoal contains too much moisture you will have better fireworks display than an asado. Although briquettes are made of ground lump charcoal, they do not offer the same smoky flavor that the natural lumps provide. If you don’t want to mess with regular wood and have store nearby that sells lump charcoal, give it a try. You’ll never go back to briquettes again.

Like many other topics in the barbecuing world, there is a debate between briquettes and lump charcoal on which burns hotter, faster, longer, slower, etc. Personally I believe lump charcoal burns hotter and faster while briquettes burn slower. I’m not a scientist nor have I performed any well calculated experiments on either of the two. Perhaps that will be an article for another day.

For those who have never experienced an asado nor eaten at an Argentinean steakhouse it may come as a surprise to see the enormous cuts of meats laid upon the grill. You might wonder if someone just made a few cuts to a whole slab of beef and tossed them on the grill. Heck, you might wonder if there is a whole cow on there. The cuts of meat used for an asado are large and hardly trimmed of the surrounding fat. Many differ from the clean cuts that are used in every day cooking. The reason for this is the the meats will come out juicy and full of flavor. If that is not your style, then don’t worry because typical steaks are grilled too. However, one steak might look like it can feed a family of four.

Some cuts of meat in Argentina, as well as other countries in South America, are quite different than what you may find in Europe and North America particularly those used for asado. For example, there are two versions of flank steak; vacio and matambre. Both of these cuts are usually offered in large pieces and untrimmed of the surrounding fat. Also, porterhouse and prime rib are usually not offered the same way as in other countries but are instead parts of other cuts. However, due to the increase in demand and change of tastes these days, those specific cuts are becoming more popular in Argentinean restaurants. If some of this sounds confusing, don’t worry. More will be explained later.

Popular Cuts Used For Asado

Asado

Wait! Isn’t that the term for barbecuing? Yes, and as I have mentioned before, there are different meanings applied to the usage. In this case we’re talking about short ribs. These are usually sold in super long and super thick strips with the the huge layers of fat still attached. There are two sub-cuts called Tapa De Asado and Tira De Asado.

Bife Ancho

These steaks are part prime rib and part rib eye

Bife Angosto

Porterhouse and strip steak make up these cuts.

Bife de Costilla

Your typical T-bone steaks

Bife de Chorizo

Although chorizo is part of the name, these steaks have nothing to do with sausages. These are sirloin and rump.

Bola de Lomo

These are usually sold in fine strips or as large cuts and is the same cut as sirloin strips.

Chinchulin

These are the lower intestines.

Colita de Cuadril

Tri-tip. The tail of the rump roast.

Cuadril

Rump roast. You can usually find these as both steaks and large cuts.

Entrana

These are the same as skirt steak and are cut in the same way.

Lomo

Tenderloin. One of the best and most expensive cuts in Argentina. They are usually cut in the same was a filet mignon.

Marucha

A part of short ribs. Most of the time they are cut in a steak form with the bone running along one side.

Matambre

A very thin part of the flank steak. These are usually offered as very large cuts that are either grilled as is or rolled and stuffed with a filling.

Mollejas

Sweetbreads. These are usually sold whole and need a bit of cleaning before cooking.

Rinones

Kidneys

Tapa de Asado

This is the thick cut of meat that is attached to the ribs and is usually sold without any bones attached

Tira de Asado

These are short ribs usually sold as long strips with or without the bones attached.

Tapa de Nalga

Top of the round roast. These are sold in different cut sizes

Vacio

Although mostly flank steak, many cuts include porterhouse and sirloin. They are usually sold in large wide strips with a thick layer of fat on both sides.

Ubre

Udder