Argentina and Asado

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Having an Asado is an Argentinian institution. It is an ideal way to feed heaps of people, has a social element and means a lot of work for the cook.

You have a pit area with a grate, and start by building a fire and making hot embers. Usually this is done in the pit if large enough in one area away from where the food is cooking. In our case the pit and grates had to feed 11 people so we needed to make embers in another place nearby.

Wood and coal is used for building up a solid base of glowing embers and these are then put under the grate and the meat placed on top.

The meat is slow cooked for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours with it being turned only once during this time. Slabs of beef, chorizo sausage and blood sausages are commonly cooked as well as lamb in some areas.

Once the meat is cooked it is brought inside and eaten with various salads such as mixed garden salad, potato salad. Bread rolls are also consumed. The cook is thanked by every one clapping him when he brings the meat to the tables.

Beer, wine and coke are popular drinks and all shops encourage people to bring their empty bottles back for resales. This effort at recycling is based on an economic need rather than envoronmental but it works well.

The food is really tasty, wood smoked in taste and most dishes are by preference quite heavily salted.

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Photos

Making the embers
This is usually done in the pit area but ours is not big enough when we had so many to feed
so we used this iron

The cook
He has to work hard for about 3 hours, first to start the fire, to create embers, and then to cook the meat and keep the embers going

Carne
The beef is cooked in big slabs, pre salted prior to cooking

Chorizo
The sausages take at least an hour to cook, are very flavoursome, really tasty

Hungry people
7 kilos of beef and sausages to feed 11 people, at least 6 of them hungry boys

Just enough room
11 people sitting down for a meal was a challenge but it kept the room warm

Comments

[penny]

hello
Hey good to see you eating and drinking. Your time is quickly coming to a close. Enjoy it as much as possible. it is still raining here and slightly cold. ANZAC Day was on Sunday but i am pleased to note we still had the holiday on Monday.Take care. love Penny