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1
Light the fire and make the sauces
30 mins
Wood embers; grill about 180–200°C (350–400°F)
Build a hardwood or lump charcoal fire on one side of the parrilla and let it burn down until the flames die and the embers glow red — about 25–30 minutes. While it burns, finely chop 40 g parsley leaves and 9 g garlic, then stir in 2 g oregano, 1 g red pepper flakes, 45 ml red wine vinegar, 90 ml olive oil and 1 g salt for the chimichurri. For the salsa criolla, finely dice 150 g tomato, 80 g onion and 80 g red pepper and toss with 15 ml vinegar, 15 ml oil, 1 g salt and 2 g black pepper. Leave both sauces to sit for at least 15 minutes.
Chop the chimichurri by hand, not in a food processor — the sauce should be loose and leafy, not a smooth paste.
Done when: Glowing embers with no flames; two finished sauces, one green and one diced and bright.
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2
Grill the provoleta
10 mins
Medium ember heat, about 180–200°C (350–400°F)
Put the 150 g provolone round in a small cast-iron pan with a pinch of oregano, set it on the grill and cook for 8–10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden at the edges. Serve it straight away with bread while the meat is still cooking — in Argentina the provoleta is the first course, not a side.
Do not walk away from the provoleta: it goes from bubbling to burnt in under a minute.
Done when: Bubbling, golden provolone, served hot in its pan.
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3
Salt the meat and grill the short ribs
55 mins
Low ember heat, about 150–180°C (300–350°F)
Pat the 800 g short ribs, 500 g vacio, 400 g entrana and 500 g bife de chorizo dry and sprinkle 10 g of coarse salt evenly over all sides. Spread the embers in a thin layer under the grill and lay the short ribs on bone-side down, away from the hottest spot. Cook for about 30 minutes on the bone side, then turn and cook for about 20 minutes on the meat side, until the fat is crisp and the meat pulls back slightly from the bone.
If fat drips and flares, move the ribs to a cooler part of the grill instead of letting them sit in the flames.
Done when: Deep brown crust, fat rendered and crisp; centre at least 63°C (145°F) with a 3-minute rest for food safety.
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4
Add the steaks, achuras and sausages
30 mins
Medium ember heat, about 180–200°C (350–400°F)
When the ribs have about 25 minutes left, add the vacio fat-side down for 10–12 minutes per side and the bife de chorizo for 8–10 minutes per side. Add the blanched mollejas and the braided chinchulines with the vacio and grill until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes, turning once. Add the entrana for the last 8–10 minutes, 4–5 minutes per side — it is thin and overcooks fast. Put the chorizo on with the vacio and turn it often until browned all over and 71°C (160°F) inside. Add the morcilla last, for 8–10 minutes, turning once, just until heated through to 74°C (165°F).
Cook the cuts in sequence and take each one off as it is ready — the asado is served piece by piece, not all at once.
Done when: Vacio, bife and entrana browned outside and juicy inside, at least 63°C (145°F); chorizo 71°C (160°F); morcilla hot through at 74°C (165°F); achuras crisp and golden.
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5
Rest, slice and serve
15 mins
Resting at room temperature, about 20–22°C (68–72°F); serve hot
Rest the beef on a warm board for 10 minutes — the juices redistribute and the temperature rises a few degrees. Slice the vacio, entrana and bife de chorizo against the grain into thin strips and cut the short ribs between the bones. Slice the mollejas and chinchulines into bite-size pieces. Arrange all the meat with the chorizo and morcilla on a large wooden board, put the chimichurri and salsa criolla on the table, and serve immediately while everything is hot.
Cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibres and makes every bite tender, especially for the entrana.
Done when: Juicy sliced beef, sausages hot through; beef rested 10 minutes and at least 63°C (145°F).
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Pile the sliced beef, achuras, chorizo and morcilla onto a warm wooden board, set the chimichurri and salsa criolla on the table, and let everyone help themselves while the meat is still hot.
Argentina
1h 25m
