The Argentine asado: fire, time, and the people who wait for it

A Sunday, somewhere in Argentina. The fire was lit long before anyone got hungry. Nobody minds: in Argentina, asado is not rushed, it is waited for. People talk, have a drink, drift around the grill. And at the centre of it all, one man and his embers.

The word comes from the Spanish asar, to roast¹. But asado names the meal as much as the way it is cooked, and even more the time spent together.

The asador, keeper of the fire

Every asado has its asador, the one who tends the fire. It is not a minor role: his reputation and prestige ride on how well the meat is cooked¹. Traditionally, it is a man's role¹.

At the end of the meal, custom calls for a tribute: un aplauso para el asador, a round of applause for the one who kept the fire¹.

Wood, embers, salt

The traditional fuel is quebracho, a very hard wood; carob or lapacho sometimes stand in for it¹. In cities, charcoal has taken over. Gas and briquettes are not considered acceptable¹.

The meat does not cook over open flames. The embers are spread out under the grill, and a lever often lets the cook raise or lower it to adjust the heat².

The seasoning fits in one word: salt¹. The cooking is slow over moderate heat, and the meat is served well done¹.

The order of the meal

An asado is not served all at once. Cuts come to the table as they are ready¹².

First come the openers: chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), provoleta (grilled cheese) with bread¹². Offal is often part of it, such as chinchulines (intestines) and mollejas (sweetbreads)¹².

Then come the big cuts of beef. Among the most cited: tira de asado (short ribs cut across the bone), vacío (flank), entraña (skirt steak), ojo de bife (ribeye) and bife de chorizo (sirloin strip)¹².

A meal that is shared

Asado happens at weekends or on special occasions, and it lasts for hours, often on a Sunday¹². The host provides the meat; guests bring wine or side dishes. And next time, it is someone else's turn to host¹.

What asado doesn't say on its own

Asado is often presented as the Argentine cuisine. The thesis this article draws on urges caution: making it the national dish par excellence overlooks regional cooking, indigenous cooking and women's cooking¹. We take the point. Asado is a way into Argentina, not the whole of it.