Asado

Argentine Asado with Chimichurri

A classic Argentine wood-fire barbecue centered on slow-cooked beef ribs and sausages over glowing embers, finished with a bright parsley-garlic chimichurri. Tending the fire is the whole point, so plan for an unhurried afternoon.

Prep

40 min

Cook

180 min

Total

220 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •2 kg (4½ lb) beef short ribs (asado de tira), cut across the bone into strips, 3-4 bones thick
• •1.5 kg (3 lb) flank or skirt steak (vacío or matambre), whole piece, for the grill
• •500 g (1 lb) Argentine-style chorizo sausages, fresh, uncooked, pork or beef
• •250 g (8 oz) morcilla (blood sausage), optional but traditional; prick before grilling to prevent bursting
• •60 g (¼ cup) coarse sea salt (sal gruesa), for seasoning the meat; Argentine coarse salt is traditional
• •3 kg (6½ lb) hardwood logs or split firewood, fruitwood, quebracho, or oak; no softwoods or charcoal-only; must burn down to glowing embers
• •30 g (1 cup packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley, for chimichurri
• •20 g (¼ cup packed) fresh oregano leaves, or 2 tsp dried oregano
• •4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) red wine vinegar
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• •2 g (½ tsp) red pepper flakes (ají molido), adjust to taste
• •1 g (¼ tsp) fine salt

Steps

1. 1 Start the fire at least 90 minutes before you plan to cook. Build a pyramid of hardwood (quebracho, fruitwood, or oak) and light it, letting it burn down until you have a deep bed of glowing embers with no active flame. Argentine asado is cooked over embers, not open flame; home kitchens usually substitute a charcoal grill with lump hardwood charcoal banked to one side, since true wood embers are hard to sustain on a small grill.
2. 2 While the fire burns down, make the chimichurri. Finely chop the parsley and oregano (do not use a blender; you want texture). Combine with the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, ají molido, and salt in a jar. Stir and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
3. 3 Pat the beef ribs and flank dry with paper towels. Just before grilling, season generously with the coarse sea salt on all sides. Argentine tradition uses salt only, and the asador typically salts the meat right before it hits the grill.
4. 4 Once the embers are glowing and covered with a thin layer of white ash, set the grill grate (parrilla) about 15-20 cm (6-8 in) above the coals. Arrange the beef ribs on the cooler side of the grill first.
5. 5 Cook the sausages first. Place the chorizo (and morcilla, pricked with a fork) over medium embers and cook 12-15 minutes total, turning every 4-5 minutes, until the chorizo reaches 71°C / 160°F internal and the morcilla is heated through (71°C / 160°F internal; the skin should be taut and just starting to split). Move to a platter and tent loosely.
6. 6 Move the beef ribs to the main cooking area, bone-side down. Cook slowly, turning every 20-25 minutes, for about 1¼ to 1½ hours total, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone, reads at least 88°C / 190°F. At that point the meat pulls back from the bones by about 1 cm (½ in), the fat renders, and the surface takes a deep mahogany crust; continue a further 20-30 minutes if the ribs still feel tight when you press them. Never judge ribs by sight alone. Move to the platter to rest under foil.
7. 7 Now grill the flank or skirt steak over the hottest embers. Cook 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare, until an instant-read thermometer reads 54°C / 130°F in the thickest part (carry-over heat will bring it to 57°C / 135°F). Whole-muscle beef is safe at this temperature. For anyone pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised, cook the flank to 63°C / 145°F with a 3 minute rest instead. Rest 8-10 minutes, then slice across the grain into 1 cm (½ in) strips.
8. 8 To serve, arrange the sausages first on a wooden board or platter, followed by the ribs and sliced flank. Pass the chimichurri in a small bowl alongside. Diners dress each bite with a spoonful of sauce. Serve with crusty bread, a simple green salad, and a bottle of Malbec or Torrontés.
9. 9 Safety note: hold cooked meats above 63°C / 145°F until served, and consume any leftovers within 3 days. If using morcilla, ensure it is fully cooked to 71°C / 160°F as blood sausage is highly perishable.