Asado

Asado is Argentina's ritual of grilling beef, offal and sausage slowly over wood coals on a parrilla, seasoned with nothing more than coarse salt and eaten in a set order over several hours. It is less a single dish than an entire afternoon: an asador tends the fire from mid-morning, and the table doesn't really start until the first chorizo comes off the grill.

What it really is

A proper asado moves through courses in a fixed sequence, not a free-for-all. Achuras — sweetbreads, chinchulines, morcilla — and chorizo sausages come first, grilled fast over the hottest part of the fire and eaten straight off the grate with bread. The beef follows: short ribs (asado de tira), skirt steak (entraña) and other cuts, cooked slowly at a distance from the coals until the fat renders and the meat pulls easily from the bone. Salt is the only seasoning applied before cooking; chimichurri — parsley, garlic, oregano, oil and vinegar — goes on at the table, never in a marinade.

The fire matters as much as the meat. Wood or charcoal burns down to embers first, and the asador shovels coals under the grate as needed rather than cooking directly over flame — a slower, more even heat a home grill struggles to replicate, and the reason a good parrilla restaurant is judged on its fire as much as its cuts.

How it's served

• In courses — sausages and offal first, beef last — never all at once.
• Straight off a wood or charcoal parrilla, cut into rustic pieces rather than plated portions.
• With chimichurri and little else besides: bread, a simple salad, red wine.

How to write it on the menu

• List it by cut (asado de tira, entraña, vacío) rather than one generic "asado" line — regulars order by cut.
• Note whether chimichurri is house-made or bought in, since not every kitchen makes its own.
• Flag that a full asado is meant for sharing; offer a single-cut option so solo diners can order sensibly.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.