Argentine Grilling

Our barbecue life changed the moment our daughter met and married an Argentine. Within days of making our acquaintance, Rodolfo began to chip away at our SoCal style, introducing us to the art of the parilla, or grill. Rodolfo’s parents own Hereford--an elegant parilla restaurant in Buenos Aires’ chic Recoleta district, and our son-in-law has specific ideas about grilling. The truth is, most Argentines are opinionated experts on the subject of meat. Forget soccer and tango; grilling is the national pastime.

Portenos (Buenos Aires locals) love gathering on weekends to barbecue. Parks and country houses have large built-in wood- and charcoal-burning grills. By noon, children have gathered kindling, the fire is crackling, and the arrival of guests bearing contributions to the meal signals the start of a party. An hour later--after a Campari aperitif, some olives and a bit of cheese--the first sizzling morsels of carne a la parilla are pulled off the grill.

An Argentine meal of ribs, steak or chicken feels familiar (think cowboy/gaucho), but the differences are as intrinsic as the reversal of seasons from north to south of the equator. For one, Argentines aren’t afraid of meat, any part of it. For another, the country’s substantial Italian population has richly influenced its cuisine. The remaining distinctions stem from one fundamental principle: Here we strive to have the meal ready in one frenzied moment, but in Argentina, the guests wait for the food.

Only one thing rattles our gracious son-in-law: when we aren’t standing by as the meat arrives at its peak, that is, crisped, hot and juicy. For the asador, or grill master, the day’s perk is to hold court at the fire, sipping red wine, tending the meat as guests pay homage, then bestowing his handiwork and reaping adulation. Consequently, the grill must be near the party. I confess our Weber kettle was once out by the back door, convenient to kitchen but isolating the cook. Rodolfo soon took care of that.

Our barbecues have become parilladas, mixed grills of astonishing variety. We often start with provoleta, a grilled smoky disk of aged provolone cheese dusted with oregano and aji molido (an Argentine red pepper blend). This is paired with crunchy pieces of salchicha parillera (coiled pork sausages), a bit of morcilla (blood sausage) and tender mollejas (sweetbreads grilled with lemon and salt). Or it works equally well with fragrant baby back ribs brushed with chimichurri, the oregano-parsley vinaigrette that Argentines use like ketchup.

Our main course includes several cuts of beef, each celebrated for its own characteristics and sampled tapas-style. Rodolfo favors juicy rib-eye, succulent flank-like tira de asado, entrana, crackly crusted skirt steak, sirloin and porterhouse. I love flavorful, inexpensive hanger steak or flap meat, also used for Mexican carne asada. Some backyard afternoons, we feast on build-your-own sandwiches de lomito, hot tenderloin slices with roasted red peppers and garlic, lemony mayonnaise, chimichurri, and slices of hard-boiled egg and white onion piled into French rolls. Perfect with an intense Mendoza Malbec wine. We serve tangy white beans and lettuce-tomato-onion salad alongside. For dessert, the spread includes fruit, Rodolfo’s incredible flan and his beloved dulce de leche with ice cream. The key is to have everything but the meat ready to rock-and-roll beforehand. I’ve learned not to stress myself or my personal asador.

Three elements are essential for authentic Argentine grilling: control of your fire (we’ve inherited a small Santa Maria-style barbecue similar to a parilla with a grate that raises and lowers), hardwood charcoal and good meat. Go to a butcher. Although young grass-fed Argentine beef isn’t allowed into this country (when it was, Rodolfo found it disappointing), hand-trimmed, dry-aged beef makes a vast difference, even with inexpensive cuts. Argentine markets, such as El Gaucho in Redondo Beach, offer Argentine-style butchering.

Finally, contrary to what we’ve been taught up north, Argentines don’t sear meat first to seal in juices. Rodolfo starts the meat over the cooler part of the fire and moves it to the hottest part at the end to get a perfectly crisped crust. Works every time. Who am I to argue with an Argentine about his beef?

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Provoleta

Serves 8-10

1 pound aged provolone cheese

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

2 teaspoons aji molido or 1/2 teaspoon chile powder

2 teaspoons olive oil

freshly ground white pepper

Dredge the cheese in flour, dusting off excess. Mix the remaining ingredients into a paste and smear half of it over the top of the cheese. Place cheese spice side up over hot coals and grill until the cheese begins to melt but still holds its shape and the underside is scored, about 3 minutes. Flip and brush the second side of the cheese with remaining spice mixture. Grill until second side is scored. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Provoleta may also be prepared on an indoor grill or in a ridged skillet.

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Sandwiches de Lomito

(Filet Mignon Sandwiches with Marinated Peppers, Chimichurri and Hard-boiled Eggs)

Serves 8

4 red bell peppers

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-2 pound filet mignon or rib-eye

2-3 teaspoons Kosher (coarse) salt

freshly ground black pepper

Chimichurri (recipe follows)

1 white onion, thinly sliced

3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Mayonnaise

8 large French rolls

Light the barbecue, mounding most of the coals to one side to create hotter and cooler areas. If using a kettle type with nonadjustable grate, make two piles of coals at the sides, leaving center as an indirect heat cooking area.

When coals are ashen and glowing (about 30-40 minutes after lighting), roast peppers over hottest part of fire until they are blackened on all sides. Remove them to a plate and cover with dish towel to allow steam to loosen skin. When cool enough to handle, peel and seed peppers. Cut peppers into inch-wide slices and place in a shallow serving dish. Pour the olive oil over peppers and sprinkle with garlic, tucking some in between layers of peppers. (Peppers may be made several hours ahead, on a grill or under broiler close to heat source.)

Meanwhile, rub the meat with salt and pepper; place meat over indirect heat and grill until juices appear on top, 10-15 minutes. From time to time, slide the meat over direct heat to brown.

Turn the meat to second side and continue grilling over indirect heat until almost done, about 10 minutes. Move the meat to hottest part of grill for 3-5 minutes to crisp the crust. Remove the meat to a platter and cut into thin slices. Arrange the condiments--mayonnaise, chimichurri, peppers, onions and hard-boiled eggs--and have guests assemble their own sandwiches.

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Tangy White Beans

Serves 8-10

2 cups dried white beans, such as cannelini

or great northern, or 6 cups canned white beans

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Salt to taste

Soak beans in cold water overnight, or do a quick soak by boiling beans for 3 minutes, removing from heat and allowing to stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans, return to a large pot and add water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Simmer the beans until tender, about an hour. Drain and cool. If using canned beans, drain and rinse beans and place in bowl. Add garlic, parsley, oil and vinegar and mix gently. Add salt to taste and mix again. May be made the day before.

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Chimichurri

10 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons aji molido or 1 teaspoon chile powder and 1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup corn oil

1 cup red wine vinegar

Mix ingredients together and place in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid. Let age 1-3 days.

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Note: Aged provolone and aji molido (Argentine coarsely ground chile powder) are available at specialty markets and some supermarkets.

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Aelia Saltsman last wrote for the magazine on green garlic.