Argentine
Asado Completo
The full Argentine asado experience — vacío, tira de asado, chorizo, and morcilla grilled over quebracho coals with nothing but coarse salt. Served with chimichurri, crusty bread, and Malbec. This is not a recipe. It's a way of life.
Ingredients
Serves 6–8 · Full asado spread
The Meat Selection
- 2 lbs vacío (flank steak) — the most traditional cut
- 2 lbs tira de asado (flanken-cut short ribs)
- 1 lb morcilla (blood sausage)
- 1 lb chorizo criollo (Argentine pork sausage)
- 1 lb chinchulines (small intestines) — optional
The Only Seasoning
- Coarse sea salt (sal gruesa)
- Nothing else. This is the Argentine way.
Chimichurri (Essential)
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp warm water
For Serving
- Crusty bread (pan casero)
- Red wine — Malbec is the only correct choice
- Ensalada mixta (simple green salad)
I spent a Sunday afternoon at a family asado in Mendoza, Argentina. The fire started at noon. We didn't eat until 4pm. Nobody minded. That's the point.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Build the Fire — The Parrillero's Art
1–2 hrsAn asado begins with the fire, not the meat. Use hardwood charcoal (quebracho is traditional in Argentina) or wood logs. Build a large fire to one side of your grill (parrilla) and let it burn down to glowing red coals with a white ash coating. Shovel coals under the grill grate as needed throughout the cook. The fire is a living thing — you tend it constantly.
Pro Tip: Never use lighter fluid. The flavor of an asado depends entirely on clean, natural fire. Quebracho charcoal burns hotter and longer than standard charcoal.
Make the Chimichurri
15 minCombine finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add red wine vinegar and warm water, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. The chimichurri should be loose and herb-forward — not a thick paste. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Pro Tip: Make chimichurri at least an hour before serving — ideally the day before. The flavors deepen significantly with time. Store at room temperature, not in the fridge.
Season the Meat
10 minThis is where Argentine asado differs radically from American BBQ. The only seasoning is coarse sea salt, applied generously to both sides of the meat just before it goes on the grill. No rubs, no marinades, no injections. The philosophy is that great meat needs nothing but fire and salt. The chimichurri is served alongside, not cooked into the meat.
Pro Tip: Season right before grilling — not hours ahead. Salt draws out moisture, and you want that moisture to stay in the meat during the cook.
Start with the Offal
20–30 minThe traditional asado sequence begins with the offal and sausages. Start with chinchulines (intestines) and morcilla (blood sausage) — these cook faster and are served as the appetizer course while the main cuts cook. Place them over medium coals. The morcilla is done when the skin is crispy and the interior is hot. Chinchulines should be golden and crispy.
Pro Tip: Morcilla is an acquired taste but is considered the soul of an asado. Even if you're skeptical, try a small piece — the smoky, rich flavor might surprise you.
Grill the Chorizo
20–25 minAdd the chorizo criollo over medium coals. Argentine chorizo is fresh pork sausage — not the cured Spanish variety. Grill slowly over medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through with a deep golden-brown crust. The traditional way to eat it is in a choripán — sliced lengthwise and served in crusty bread with chimichurri.
Pro Tip: Pierce the chorizo once or twice with a fork before grilling to prevent bursting. Cook slowly — high heat will burn the outside before the inside is cooked.
The Main Cuts — Low and Slow
45–90 minPlace the vacío and tira de asado on the grill over medium-low coals, fat-side up first. Argentine asado is cooked at a much lower temperature than American BBQ — the grill should be about 12–15 inches above the coals. The meat cooks slowly, basting in its own fat. Flip only once. The vacío is done when it has a golden crust and gives slightly when pressed.
Pro Tip: The height of the grill above the coals is the Argentine parrillero's primary temperature control. Raise the grill for lower heat, lower it for more heat.
The Flip — Once Only
30–45 minAfter the first side has developed a golden crust (about 45 minutes for the vacío), flip the meat once. Season the now-upward side with coarse salt. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 130–135°F for medium-rare (the preferred doneness in Argentina) or 140–145°F for medium. The tira de asado is done when the bones pull away easily.
Pro Tip: Argentine asado is almost always served medium to medium-rare. Well-done meat is considered a waste of good beef. Trust the process.
Rest and Slice
10 minRemove the meat from the grill and rest for 5–10 minutes on a wooden board. Slice the vacío against the grain into thick slices. Cut the tira de asado between the bones. Arrange everything on a large wooden board or platter in the center of the table. Serve immediately with chimichurri, bread, salad, and Malbec.
Pro Tip: The presentation matters in Argentine culture. A beautiful wooden board with all the cuts arranged together, chimichurri in a bowl alongside, is the traditional and correct way to serve asado.
The Philosophy of Asado
In Argentina, asado is not a cooking method — it's a social institution. The asador (the person who tends the fire) is a position of honor. An asado can last 4–6 hours. It begins with the offal and sausages as appetizers, moves through the main cuts, and ends with dessert and more wine. Nobody rushes.
The simplicity of the seasoning — only salt — is a statement of confidence in the quality of the beef. Argentine grass-fed beef is among the best in the world, and the asado tradition honors it by getting out of the way and letting the fire do its work.