The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

My First Argentine Asado

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During my first four months in Buenos Aires, I never received an invite to an asado.  There are probably two reasons for this:

  1. You need to actually be friends with Argentines AND those Argentines they need to have a parrilla (aka grill).
  2. It got cold, and Portenos hibernate during late Fall and Winter.

I was thrilled to get my first asado invite when I got back to Buenos Aires after my visit home.  Sure, I have eaten great steak in Buenos Aires, but an asado is totally different.

An asado is an event.  An asado is an experience. 

An asado is a normal part of life for Argentines.

Luckily, I had a friend to give me a heads up on a few important aspects of an asado prior to our arrival.

If you are ever lucky enough to get an invite to an asado, these are 6 things you must know.

6 Asado Tips for Foreigners

#1 – Bring 1 kilo of meat and 1 bottle of wine per person.

I totally get the “one bottle of wine per person” rule.

But 1 kilo of meat sounds like A LOT of meat because, well, it is.  Even if you don’t think you’ll eat that much, everyone else will.

Photo of meat for asado

Photo of wine consumed

#2 – There is no schedule.

I know I have already talked about how people are late for everything in Buenos Aires.  So if an asado starts at 8pm, that means the asador (aka grill master) MIGHT show up at 8:30pm.  And MAYBE the coals will be ready at 9:30pm.  Guests will show up at the asado anywhere from 9:00pm until midnight.

Nobody complains about this.  Nobody asks when the food is going to be ready.

Don’t be that guy. 

Eat a snack before you go or throw a granola bar in your bag.

Photo of asador working the grill

#3 – You eat with your hands.

It may be different if it is a family gathering.  But if it is a group of friends, nobody is going to worry about plates or silverware or even giving you food.

Photo of meat

That brings me to number 3…

#4 – It is a free-for-all when meat starts coming off the grill.

As the various parts of cow and pig are ready, they are pulled off the grill, and the feasting begins.  If you are lucky, someone will walk around with a plate of juicy dead animal, and you can snag a piece.  But that is only if you are lucky.

Your best bet is to hover by the grill, so you don’t miss out on the good stuff.

Photo of sausages on grill

Photo of meat piled on plate

#5 – Do not wear white.  You WILL drop blood on your shirt.

Remember #3 and #4?  Enough said.

Photo of bloody meat

Photo of meat being sliced

#6 – Embrace the salt.

Argentines LOVE salt.  Everything in this country is doused in salt.  And meat is no exception.  At the asado I went to, the meat was coated in a layer of sal gruesa before grilling, and then more salt was poured on after grilling.

Plan to be bloated and wear pants with an elastic waistband.

Check out more asado photos in my gallery.

Have you ever been to an Argentine asado?  What tips would you give foreigners for “their first time?”

Comments

  1. Stephanie, I’m very sorry… but I will have to delete your RSS feed, unfollow you on twitter and on all the other social media we are connected!!!

    I’m sorry. But this is one post to much about DELICIOUS meat in Argentina! It’s again early in the morning in Europe and I haven’t eaten yet. It’s the third time this happens this week! They say, all good things come in threes…
    Sebastian recently posted..Photo of the Week: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria

  3. I’ve never heard of an Asado, but it sounds like so much fun, expect for waiting to eat – I Iike to know when my next meal will be.

  6. An asado is more than food, it’s a kind of ritual where men gather round the parrilla chugging beer and chatting until it’s time to sit down to eat. Women set the table and get the salads ready (yes, we do eat vegetables! haha!) and chatter.

    Usually ice cream and/or fruit salad follows the meat fest.
    Oh yes, and then mate and facturas in the afternoon.

    I’m glad to got to enjoy an asado with locals. (BTW that’s a good-looking asador on the 3rd photo :) )
    Ana O’Reilly recently posted..A colourful corner of Buenos Aires: La Boca

  8. Asados kill the Aussie Barbie. Over here just like in the States I suspect it’s the host who supplies all the meat and drink. Aussies are tight. If you gave an invite for a Barbie here and asked people to bring their own meat nobody would show up. And the idea of drinking wine with your meat instead of beer would take some serious taking used to.

    Notice something different today? No links. I think I did a bit of overkill last time so just a comment today and besides when it comes to the Aussie Barbie if you’ve been to one you’ve been to them all.

      • All that Aussies eat at most Barbies are sausages. Sometimes if you’re lucky you might get lamb say on Australia Day January 26 our national holiday. The lamb industry promotes eating lamb on that day that’s why it’s more common then.

        But at you’re typical Aussie Barbie you’ve got the guys all talking in one corner and the girls in another and one poor guy stuck on his own cooking everything usually with a beer in his hand. And all they do is talk about how much they hate thier jobs and love their cars and how they want to climb the property ladder.

        I would think that an Asado would be none of that. People getting together having a good time, not talking about all the crap going on in their lives. It’s one of the things I love about South America and it’s people; they know how to have a good time and they don’t take themselves too seriously. And they love their meat!

  14. That looks so delicious! I’ve only been to an asado in Chile, which I’ve heard is different to the Argentinian one, but at least the basics seem the same, ridicilous amount of meat was grilled and eaten that night!
    Jarmo recently posted..Friendly Encounters in Manila

  15. omg, this post was so entertaining! the travel chica is doing such an awesome job of giving non-travelers an extremely intimate portrayal of the places that she goes. i’ve learned a lot lately. buen viaje, chica!

  16. You forgot to mention another rule: if it’s a men reunion and women went for a ladies sushi night do not ask for any vegetable, there won’t be any of those in the table, only meat and remember: in Argentina “you don’t win friends with salad”!

      • Ok, a costa que me banneen o me elexuspn del planeta, voy a decir publicamente que yo tambien entenderia eso como asado…De hecho, se esta asando algo ahi, sea paty o cordero patagonico.El tema esta en que no todos los homo erectus sabemos asar… de hecho algunos (me incluyo) podemos lograr arruinar las cosas de una forma que no se pueden creer en un area tan basica y sencilla como “cocinarte tu propio alimento” (y de procurarmelo sin el carnicero y la tarjeta de credito, no te cuento!).Entiendo que el material genetico deberia haber llegado a todos desde la epoca de los Neardentales, pero en algun momento doblo mal en la rotonda de Alpargatas y al mismisimo tacho todo.Creo y abrazo la teoria de especializacion y diversificacion; no todos podemos hacer bien todo.Puede ser sacrilego, puede ser el comienzo del Apocalipsis, Don Segundo Sombra debe estar revolcandose en la tumba con Martin Fierro, pero es asi.Yo he hecho asados donde hemos actuado de “parrillero” 4 y hasta 5 personas!He prendido el fuego con un soplete de gas, con alcohol y hasta he comprado ese cajon de madera que trae la bolsa de carbon dentro… si, hice eso!!! Todo eso!!Perdon, Padre porque he pecado!

  20. Asados are def one of my favorite foods! We have a parrilla at home so some weekends we have asado, chorizos and morcilla (i never liked the way they looked, now that i know what they’re made of, i know that i don’t wanna try them…).

    X-mas and new years eve’s celebrations at home are ALWAYS with asado. If you haven’t tried it yet, let me recommend you the PROVOLETA. It’s a piece of cheese (provolone hilado argentino) and it’s made especially for parrillas. It has some spices on top, it’s absolutely delicious!

    I hope you’re enjoying the stay in my country! :)
    laura recently posted..¡Viva España! My World Cup Final experience

  23. Oh, wow. So, so much meat.

    What was your experience sourcing meat in Argentina? When you go to the market, is it advertised as grass fed, grain fed, organic, etc., etc.? Do they tend to differentiate between feed lot meat or pastured animals?

    I’ve heard so much about the heavy red meat diet in Argentina; I’m curious to learn more about the sustainability and ethics of ranching and resource management.

    It looks like they’ve got the friends & food combination figured out! : ) Thanks for the pictures and descriptions.
    Bethany ~ twoOregonians recently posted..One Month From Departure: A Pause at Cannon Beach

    • I do not believe they advertise it as organic or grass-fed, etc. I usually bought it from carnicerias instead of the supermarket though. In fact, I have heard that they are going away from that in Argentina which is unfortunate. They may lose their quality meat reputation if they do.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..How To Survive a 28-Hour Bus Ride

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