Meat’s back on the menu, boys. Executive Chef at Fazenda, Chef Francisco Martinez’s shares his guide to Asado-Style Grilling
“Although the UK may not boast the tropical climates of Argentina or Brazil, we can still bring the warmth of asado-style grilling to our summer barbecues. We recommend cooking over wood or wood charcoal for an authentic experience, allowing for more natural and rich flavours.
For serious enthusiasts, the Rolls Royce of asadores (cross-shaped Argentine grills) comes from Fuegos JL in Argentina. Alternatively, UK-based Somerset or Solus Grills offer more accessible options.”
For the ultimate asado:
- Really get that fire going to begin with! You’ll need more flames than you think to avoid running out of embers. An ember maker is always useful to have on hand.
- Always sear your meat over high-temperature embers. You want to get the meat sizzling to begin with to lock in those flavours before slow-cooking.
- Choose larger cuts like Sirloin and Ribeye from local butchers as the show-stopper to accompany smaller cuts. These cuts require slow-cooking but the results are unmatched.
Remember, asado-style barbecuing is a marathon, not a race—it’s all about savouring the experience!’
1 Chimichurri
Considered the holy grail in Argentina, Chimichurri adds both complex flavour and a subtle spice to your favourite cut of steak from the barbecue.
Ingredients:
• 50g Parsley
• 10g Thyme
• 10g Rosemary
• 10g Oregano
• ½ Red chilli
• ½ White onion
• 1 tbsp of Salt
• ½ tbsp of Black pepper
• 100ml White vinegar
• 30ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 50ml Sunflower oil
• 50ml Water
Method:
You just need a chopping board and a little bowl. Simply finely chop all
your ingredients and then mix all ingredients together and let them do the magic themselves. Tip: Chimichurri tastes better when it’s cold!
2 Red Pepper Purée
The perfect summer drizzle for your barbecue, the sweetness of the piquillo peppers in this
purée lends it as a delicious partner for steaks, salad and potatoes alike.
Ingredients
• 200g Roasted piquillo peppers
• 3g Salt
• 2g Black pepper
Method
1 Add all of your ingredients into a blender and blend for roughly a minute. Once this is done, you can pass the mixture through a sieve if you’d prefer it to be smoother. But you can leave it as it is too.
3 ‘Asado’ Beef Short Ribs
Take your barbecue to new heights with Fazenda ‘s recipe for melt in your mouth Beef Short Ribs ‘Asado’ with this easy technique. Beef short ribs cooked ‘asado’ style are iconic in Argentine cuisine. While cooking over open fire isn’t as common in the UK as it is back in South America, you can recreate the essence and flavours at home for the ultimate summer barbecue centrepiece.
Beef short ribs are often over looked, though with the right care and expertise, they can easily become the star of the show. The key for optimum results is in the marinating and overnight, slow cooking to ensure the meat becomes succulent and tender, whilst packing deep flavours to impress your guests.
Ingredients (serves 4):
• 2 kg beef short ribs (trimmed of excess fat)
• 50ml sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1⁄2 tbsp sugar
• 1⁄2 tbsp black pepper
• 1⁄2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1⁄2 tbsp mixed
• dried herbs
For this recipe, you’ll need to use a home oven initially to slow cook your meat ahead of your garden gathering, finishing over your barbecue coals for a smoky finish.
Method
1 Remove any excess fat by trimming your ribs to a 5mm fat cap, leaving just enough to add to the flavour.
2 Pour the sunflower oil onto the ribs and gently massage the meat to ensure even distribution.
3 Mix all the dry ingredients to make your dry rub marinade
4 Coat the ribs all over with the dry rub
TIP: For the next step, it’s important that you use a high-quality cling film to avoid the film melting during the cooking process. This will help contain the flavourful juices and moisture in the parcel, and is a suitable home method to replicate ‘sous-vide’ cooking (as we would use at Fazenda).
5 Generously wrap the ribs in cling film, wrapping at least three or four times, then wrap with foil.
6 Roast at 100 degrees celsius for 8 hours overnight. Once removed from the oven, leave your ribs to cool to room temperature for a couple of hours before placing in the fridge until barbecuing time.
7 Place your ribs on the barbecue for one hour, still wrapped
8 Remove the wrapping and place back on the coals for a caramelised finish with smoky aromas before slicing and serving with sides of your choice
Tips and recipes courtesy of
