Argentinian barbecue?

[Jenise]

For our September neighborhood wine tasting, I've just sold Malbec as a topic and for extra fun and excitement, I've suggested we provide a big Argentinian style mixed grill. I have never been to Argentina, I only know about this from hearsay and the endless protein parade that is dinner at an Argentinian restaurant in Southern California.

I know there is a traditional green blender sauce made of onions, garlic and herbs, too, I've made it before myself, and it's called chimichurri, or something like that.

And that's all I know. What meats, marinades and side dishes would be traditional for this kind of meal?

Grass-fed beef for starters. I don't really know much about the various cuts, but I would certainly want to include a cut like hanger or onglet.

The best Argentinian mixed grills I have ever had both featured delicious blood sausage and a chorizo-style sausage, plus sweetbreads. That may be more work than you want, though.

Yup, got to have the chimichurri.

For our September neighborhood wine tasting, I've just sold Malbec as a topic and for extra fun and excitement, I've suggested we provide a big Argentinian style mixed grill. I have never been to Argentina, I only know about this from hearsay and the endless protein parade that is dinner at an Argentinian restaurant in Southern California.

I know there is a traditional green blender sauce made of onions, garlic and herbs, too, I've made it before myself, and it's called chimichurri, or something like that.

And that's all I know. What meats, marinades and side dishes would be traditional for this kind of meal?

Jenise, here is my recipe for chimichurri sauce.


Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup olive oil
¼ cup malt vinegar
1/3 cup minced parsley
¼ cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl combine the chimichurri sauce ingredients. Let stand, covered, at room temperature 8 hours or overnight. Reserve some of the sauce in a separate bowl to serve with the grilled meat.

Notes: This makes enough sauce for 4½ lbs. meat. I made a ½ batch for one 1¼ -1½ lb. flank steak. I finely chop all ingredients instead of using the blender.

The original recipe calls for 1½ lbs. chicken pieces, 1½ lb. smoked sausage and 1 flank steak about 1½ lbs. and to drizzle the sauce onto the meat and rub into all surfaces instead of marinating.

I marinated my steak for about 2 hours in part of the sauce, and served the rest with the steak. Also, I substituted cider or red wine vinegar the for malt vinegar.

Wine match: Hearty red such as Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda.

- The Weber Gas Grill Cookbook

I almost forgot. Feijoada makes a great accompaniment for this type of dinner. I know it's Brazilian and not Argentinian, and I've never made it myself but I've had it in Brazilian steakhouses call Churrascaria. As for the meats, like my recipe said, any sausages, chicken, lamb, pork. Whatever you like.

Personally, I'd probably just grill a flank steak, bake some potatoes and make some black bean & sausage soup. Add salad and some good bread, and you've got a feast.

http://www.brazilbrazil.com/feijoada.html

Jenise, does everyone bring a malbec, or are you putting it together?

Jenise,
We have a Brazilian Steak House here and recently went with friends.
The restaurant was just getting started. They had a buffet for the sides set up but nothing was labeled, so we did not know what we were eating. There was an excellent soup, various sauces, cucumbers and tomatoes in separate marinades, and various other foods, we were not sure what they were. Meats were brought out as we asked for them on skewers, and small amounts cut, and dropped right onto our plates. Pork, lamb, beef, sausage, chicken. It started out well, but as we got into eating more protein, we discovered all the meats are seasoned the same. It was good, tender, but the same taste. I don't know if the Argentinean bbq is similar. Very nice young couple, Portuguese, and two other nationalities were mentioned, plus having lived in Brazil and Argentina.
We need to go back and see if they got their act together with the sides.

[Jenise]

Bob, I'll buy all the wines.

Karen, I had the same reaction to the Argentinian place we went to in So Cal--everything tasted the same, and it's a given that I'd avoid that. I would also suspect that the side dishes (buffet style like what you describe--your experience is interchangeable with mine) were less authentic than expedient to the purpose of feeding large numbers of people with ingredients you can purchase at Smart & Final.

CMM, blood sausages would be out for this crowd, but certainly something chorizo-like would be both obtainable and delish. And I agree that skirt or hanger steak would be perfect. You cause me to wish again, as I have many times since moving here, that our Costco carried hanger steak as the Costcos in So Cal did. I wonder why they don't--I'll have to ask next time I'm in there.

Linda--thanks for the recipe. That's very similar to what I've made in the past. We'll be able to do a lot of different meats for this event, because we'll have 60 people attending.

I've never been to Argentina. But, I have been to a traditional Argentinian Asado, thrown by a woman who worked with my mother. She is Argentinian and has been throwing this party every year for the past 25 years. I was honored to be in attendance. We must have eaten and drank for almost 12 hours straight. Most memorable to me were the sausages and sweetbreats (served on roasted buns) with liberal slatherings of chimichurre! This was the appetizer course! Served with copious amounts of wine and alcohol. Then came the meats, meats, meats and more meat, and a few sides. I have never eaten so much beef in my life. But, what made the appetizers memorable were the various sausages (names I don't remember, except one was a type of blood sausage), and the sweetbreads. Everything was grilled and charred to perfection and the flavors were amazing. Before that day, I had never eaten a sweetbread (I knew their origin), but I was surprised at the texture of the meat and how good it was grilled and bathed in sauces.

In short, you must serve sausages and sweetbreads!

Jenise, don't forget:

1) empanadas---stuffed with any variety of things you wish.

2) morcilla, chorizo and I don't know the Argentinean for sweetbreads. You could also do chitlin's, since like any animal meat culture, the Argentineans eat pretty much everything from the cow.

3) Don't forget that Argentina---especially Buenos Aires----has a huge contingent of Italians, and that there's quite a bit of good Italian food as part and parcel of their cuisine.

4) Cheeses, and with the cheeses, membrillo (quince paste) is quite standard.

5) The Other Meat: no, not pork----goat!

6) dulce de leche or variations on flan/caramelized milk

7) mate (with the pht over the e)

[Jenise]

Jenise, you need to talk to our Argentinian WLDG friend, Alejandro in Buenos Aires:

Randy, good idea, but I actually asked him in a wine thread to drop in on this topic the day I posted it, and he hasn't yet.

[Jenise]

Hoke, good suggestions. And, empanadas were already on my list in the "if I have enough time" category.

Jo Ann, so they call it an "Asado"? Makes sense. I was grasping for a name, but couldn't conjure up anything less rudimentary than Gaucho Party.

Hi Jenise - I like to refer to authentic restaurants when I'm looking for tips on filling out a menu, and here is the perfect one from a place about an hour away from me: http://www.chimichurrigrill.com/newjersey/dinner.html

Food there is outstanding and as close to the Gaucho meal I had in Aruba years ago. (BTW, don't be confused or put off by items like "ravioles" listed on there - they are the Argetinean chef's unusual creations and not some lame attempt at placating Americans.)

My favorite, btw, is the Parrillada Buenos Aires: Filet mignon, short ribs, hanger steak, pork sausage, blood sausage, lamb chops, sweet breads served with french fries. The blood sausage doesn't do it for me, but fights break out over the sweetbreads. A must! And their frites rival great bistros and I feel are a better companion to the meats than plain roasted potatoes. The whole thing is served with two chimichurris - a green one (traditional) and a red one (much zingier); I tend to like to blend a little of each, though when I'm at home, I make a traditional green one with a little red pepper flake to give a little zip.

When I first went, I was surprised that their menu didn't have anything with hearts of palm, but I find that often featured in their daily specials.

Hope you had a great dinner!

[Jenise]

Eden, bless you for that link! That's great guidance.

And mmmm! Hearts of palm is traditional? Somehow I don't think of palm trees and Argentina in the same breath, though, come to think of it, I do know that palm oil is very much used in South America.

I'm really interested, btw, in the sweetbreads everyone keeps mentioning. Never have had them grilled--that's totally out of left field for me. And I love it when things come from left field.

Anyway, thanks for the help--that menu is indeed enlightening.

Hi Jenise-- very sorry to get to this thread with such a delay. Glad to hear you guys will be organizing an Asado.

If you want to make it an authentic Argentine meal, then Feijoada simply doesnt match. Mind you, Im a huge fan of the dish... and there is nothing wrong with including it if many of those that will attend want to have it, but if the premise is making the real thing then its best left for another event.

In terms of side dishes.... I suggest you guys try to make Provoletas. Provoleta is a super traditional side for an Asado, its basically a slab of provolone cheese (or a blend of cheese that includes provolone) thats put into a small round iron skillet, you add olive oil & some seasonings, tomatoe is optional, sometimes even cooked ham.... you heat up the cheese until its semi-melted... amazing!!!

Another proper side could be french fries, although bakes potatoes are also in order. One side that is less known but is amazing are baked sweet potatoes.... add butter and pepper and you have a home-run.

In terms of cuts of meat... see if you can find an Argentine butcher in your area and order Matambrito. This will be a tough one.... but, if no Argentine butcher is available, then try to see if you can get short-ribs, and improvise as though you were grilling asado-de-tira. Tip for grilling the ribs.... place them with the bone side on the grill first, then turn them once the bone side is properly cooked.

As posted above... Empanadas are the classic & super traditional starter to any asado. I would not be too liberal with the fillings... tradition mandates that empanadas for an asado should be either filled with meat & spices, or maybe humita (corn/cornmeal). While its true that empanadas have all sorts of possible fillings, the two mentioned ingredients are the ones that would best match an Asado.

Enjoy!!!!!!

Crikey, I've heard about the size of these parties - better buy a whole ox!

You can flush the late-stayers into the gutters with a fire hose next morning....or would that be when you do the Bag-in-a-box tasting

PS - try Sambas under the Alberni Street liquor store for authentic all you can eat South American BBQ

I lived 2 years next door in Uruguay. The cuisine is pretty much the same. For a large party you could do a whole splayed lamb, goat or suckling pig.

Or for 20 people: 2 kilos beef ribs, 2 kilos of top rump, 1 kilo of skirt steak (matambre), 1 1/2 kilos sweet breads, 3 cow kidneys( I prefer lambs kidneys), 1 kilo of small intestine, 1 kilo of blood sausage. 20 choriso criollo. "El Asado Criollo"

Olla podrida is another option to be served. Translated "rotten pot". A stew made with what ever garden vegetables are in season, beans (If in the north, close to Brazil these would be black. In the south in the Italian influence area these might be white.) Thrown in chicken, sausages, some organ meat, a few tomatoes, garlic, onions, oregano, Italian hot pepper, salt and pepper. Then cook it over a fire slowly for many hours.

The bread served is French.
The fire is slow and low.
The fire source is a small wood fire at the side. You using a shovel take the coals from the fire and place it under the meat.
The choriso, 60% pork, 40 % beef, with a little bacon fat added. Spices garlic, dry Italian red pepper, salt, pepper and some aromatic spices.
The salad, leaf lettuce, tomato and onnion seasoned with red wine vinegar, oil and salt.
For vegetables, roast them over the fire brushed with Chimichurri.
Classic chimi was made in a bottle a few days in advance. it consisted of redwine vinegar, oil, red pepper, ground black pepper, salt, garlic and aromatic spices (usually oregano). Just let it sit out on the counter. I have a better recipe if you are interested.
Salsa Criolla consisted of onion, green peppers, tomato, salt pepper, red wine vinegar and oil. Add a little dried red pepper and dried mustard and its done.

For a basting brine for the meat and sausages we used the chimi with the addition of a little citrus juice.

I took part in preparing the food for a fund raising asado for 3 seasons. We served about 800 people.