Homo Erectus Would’ve Made a Good Cowboy
It’s amazing just how much your childhood shapes you. Even the things you might not consciously remember can play an important part in your love for them. Such is the case with my inordinate affection for classic cowboys.
My father loves Westerns. Stagecoach. Unforgiven. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A Fistfull of Dollars. True Grit. The Magnificent Seven. Even Blazing Saddles.
As a young child, he also introduced me to the magical musical storytelling of Marty Robbins, and “El Paso” has been stuck in my head for the past 40 years.
However, while America may have invented the Western, it certainly didn’t invent the cowboy. That tradition originated in Spain, and Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors brought their practices and their horses to North America in the 16th century.
The Mexican vaqueros were the inspiration for Argentinian gauchos, the nomadic and colourful horsemen of the Argentine and Uruguayan grasslands who wrangle the region’s famous cattle.
As they roamed the plains, those cattle also provided the bulk of the food for the gauchos, who developed tried-and-true methods for grilling giant steaks when they set up camp each night.
To this day, asado, or Argentinian barbecue, is a hardcore favorite among Argentines, even those who have never ridden a horse. The average Argentine eats nearly 155 pounds of beef a year — more than any other culture on the planet. In fact, when they plan an asado, they prepare at least a pound of meat per guest.
And while Argentinians didn’t invent barbecue (that honor goes to Homo erectus and man’s first fire around 1.8 million years ago), they have certainly turned it into an art form.
Aside from a good cut of meat and a good fire that’s burning low and slow, you don’t need anything else for asado besides good salt. Ideally, you’d season the steak just before you grill it and again when it’s done using sal parrillera, or large-crystal barbecue salt. It’s hard to find outside Argentina, but you can substitute Maldon sea salt instead. Just don’t use regular table salt, which dissolves much too quickly. Remember, everything about asado is low and slow.
You’ll serve your finely grilled meat with a bright, fresh chimichurri sauce and a glass of Malbec, because Argentinian cowboys are fancy cowboys. Just look at the ponchos!
This week’s subscriber exclusives: Argentines aren’t kidding about their barbecues. If it can be grilled, it will be grilled, including the vegetable sides. Grilled Vegetable Skewers and Grilled Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream use South American flavors to make these dishes extra special.
Subscribers to Around the World in 80 Plates have exclusive access to recipes for both of these amazing Argentinian asado classics.
Gaucho-Style Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
In Argentina, beef is traditionally cooked over a coal or wood fire that has burned down low. You have to take your time and cook the meat slowly, otherwise you get a steak they describe as black-and-blue: charred on the outside and underdone on the inside, which is definitely not what you want.
A variety of cuts will work for this approach: sirloin, New York strip, flank steak, or cowboy ribeye. The meat is simply seasoned with good, coarse salt just before it hits the grill and again when it’s done. Argentinian barbecue salt, sal parrillera, can be expensive to buy outside South America, but you can substitute Maldon sea salt, especially for the finishing sprinkle.
True asado isn’t marinated, although it is occasionally seasoned with herbs and spices after it’s cooked and while the meat is resting. I prefer to serve the meat plain with a side of chimichurri sauce; that way, each diner can use as much or as little as they like. Chimichurri is also delicious with grilled vegetables or as a dipping sauce for Grilled Sourdough.
1 to 1–1/2 pound bone-in steak
sal parrillera, Maldon sea salt, or other medium-coarse saltChimichurri Sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 shallot, peeled
1 small red jalapeño or serrano chili, stemmed and deseeded
2 bunches flat leaf parsley, stems removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
freshly-ground black pepper
Season the steak generously on both sides with the sal parrillera or Maldon sea salt. Allow it to come to room temperature while you’re preparing the chimichurri sauce and preheating the grill to medium heat.
In a food processor, pulse the garlic, shallot, and chili pepper to mince. Add the parsley and pulse to chop. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and sea salt and pulse briefly to combine. Season with freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Sear the steak on both sides directly over a medium flame, then reduce heat to low and move the steak to the edge of the grill so it isn’t directly over the heat. Turning every five minutes or so, cook until it has reached your desired level of doneness when tested with a quick-read food thermometer. A medium rare steak will be 130–135°F, medium will be 135–145°F, medium well will be 145–155°F, and well done will be 155–165°F. Allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing and serving with chimichurri sauce. Makes approximately two servings.
For $5 a month, you can get an additional weekly issue of Around the World in 80 Plates that includes bonus recipes not available to the public.
This week’s subscriber exclusives:
- Grilled Vegetable Skewers: In Argentina, they don’t joke about their barbecues. If it can be grilled, it will be grilled, including the vegetable sides. These brochetas make use of seasonal vegetables that are simply prepared and deliciously executed.
- Grilled Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream: Argentines sometimes cook little foil pouches of potatoes on the grill that are similar to Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, but I love the crispy edges you get when you cook thin slices directly over an open flame.
