This is how the world grills: The home of the gauchos
For a long, long time, Argentina was considered the country of origin of first-class beef. And the Argentinian steakhouses in this country were the places where you could first experience something like steak culture. The preparation there was usually very simple: the meat was simply cooked on an open charcoal grill. This was not because there were no alternatives - the somewhat rustic grilling is simply a tradition in Argentina, but also in Brazil. - By Markus Mizgalski
In Argentina, what we like to call flat grilling is called asar a la parilla, which simply means "grilling". The basis is usually grills with a fairly large, rectangular grill surface above a coal pan of the same size. The grill is often suspended from an elaborate gallows and chain hoist system, so that the grills look quite impressive. The grills often have rods with a roof profile instead of the classic round rods. The typical method of firing in Argentina is to first burn wood to form charcoal and then cook the meat on these embers. Some parilla grills therefore even have a separate box in which wood can be burned the whole time while grilling, in order to have a constant supply of charcoal. The cuts that end up on the grill are essentially the same as those we know here; popular items include roast beef and entrecôte. The grilling is done openly and by turning it more often if necessary. The whole thing is original and quite simple.
Even more rustic, however, is the second popular grilling method in Argentina, the Asado. When practiced on a larger scale, it is reminiscent of ancient mass crucifixions. And it is not that far removed from that. Asado itself actually means a feast, at least in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia or Paraguay. Otherwise it just means "grilling". The crucifixion is correctly called Asado con cuero, because whole animals are often grilled here, although they are broken open, with the skin still on. Con cuero means nothing other than "with skin". The animals or very large cuts such as forequarters of beef are attached to cross-shaped metal frames, which are then cooked slightly at an angle over a large pile of wood embers. At larger celebrations, ten, twenty or more of these Asado crosses are often placed together in one place. Hence the impression of a mass crucifixion. Asado requires not only the necessary space but also patience. For the Argentinians, it is perhaps a little bit like what a pig on a spit is for us, or what a “whole hog” is for the Americans.
A special feature of the Parilla grill is the special shape of the grate bars. They prevent too much fat from running into the embers.
The Asamodo brand offers modular grills of high quality. The "Brasa" is an eye-catcher, especially because of its versatility and attractive design. Price: €1,990
Everyone has probably seen this before. In Argentina, meat is usually prepared as Asado con cuero at major celebrations.
Churrasco
If you order churrasco in Argentina, you get a special steak cut; strictly speaking, it is skirt. With chimichurri salsa, it is a kind of Argentinian national dish. In Brazil, however, the second largest cattle-breeding state in South America, churrasco is a way of preparing it. A churrasco grill is basically a coal pan over which large skewers are placed. These are usually between about 60 and 80 cm long and have a roof profile. Churrasco also has two-pronged forks of the same length. Professional, large churrasco grills turn all the skewers at once, either with a motor or crank drive. And then on several levels. Various pieces of meat are put on the skewers, but also sausages or bread. Meat that still has a fat cap is often used, which is then turned downwards when grilling. The most well-known dish is probably picanha, or boiled beef. Traditionally, the meat is seasoned with coarse salt, which is sprinkled on the meat a while before grilling and then knocked off before the skewer is put over the fire. In contrast, rodizio is a way of serving in which different types of meat are continuously cut from the skewer to the guest's plate at the table; the skewers are then put back on the grill. The restaurants that serve this way are called churrascaria, which once again shows how deeply rooted churrasco is as a method of preparation in Brazil. Meat is also grilled this way in Portugal.
Everyone has probably seen this before. In Argentina, meat is usually prepared asado con cuero at major celebrations.
Just beef?
Although it would be obvious, neither in Argentina nor in Brazil is it exclusively beef that ends up on the grill or skewer. Pork, chicken and vegetables are also very common. Pineapple is also popular for grilling; the fork-shaped churrasco skewers are one example of this.
South America in Germany?
The rustic style of South American grilling has its fans in Germany too. Churrasco is probably the most popular here. The skewers for this are now available in almost every large hardware store. The same applies to the skewer supports, which are either rectangular or round and suitable for a kettle grill. The whole thing can be implemented with relatively little effort and cost. You have to invest a little more for an asado cross. Something like this costs around 200 to 500 euros, depending on the quality and design. If you have mastered metalworking, you can also build something like this yourself. There are even special asado grill courses from time to time. Nevertheless, this remains a rather unusual grilling technique for our latitudes. It gets expensive if you want to put a decent parilla grill in your garden. Stable models with solid chain hoists usually cost well over 2,000 euros; the number of suppliers on the German market is limited. However, you can also have just the special grate individually configured and then use it on any other square charcoal grill. The company Ricon offers something like this.
Picanha is probably the most well-known recipe from South America. Recipes for the Brazilian version of boiled beef can also be found in abundance in the German barbecue world.
South American barbecues are impressive in their simplicity. Neither the equipment nor the preparation is technically complex; the experience of the grill masters makes a lot of difference. Although sauces and side dishes are always part of the meal, in the end people in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay still grill a lot of meat. And very often for a few more people than just their own immediate family.
