Asado

( ) is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries: especially Argentina and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event, as well as Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Chile and Paraguay. An asado usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, , and , all of which are cooked using an open fire or a grill, called a parrilla. Usually, red wine and side dishes such as salads accompany the main meats, which are prepared by a designated cook called the asador or parrillero.

Coal and fire

Usually, the asador begins by igniting the charcoal, which is often made of native trees (such as quebracho or algarrobo), avoiding pines and eucalyptus as they have strong-smelling resins. In more sophisticated asados the charcoal is of a specific tree or made from the coal of recently burned wood, which is also commonplace when having an asado in a campfire. In Uruguay, charcoal is not used; instead, the asado is grilled directly over embers or hot coals. Cooking can be done al asador or a la parrilla. In the first case, a fire is lit on the ground or in a fire pit/grill and surrounded by metal crosses (asadores) that hold the entire carcass of an animal splayed open to receive the heat from the fire. In the second case, a fire is made and, after the charcoal has formed, a grill with the meat is placed over it.

Embutidos and achuras

In many asados, chorizos, morcillas (black pudding), chinchulines (cow chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbreads), and other organs, often accompanied by provoleta, would be served first while the cuts that require longer preparations are still on the grill. Sometimes these are served on a charcoal brasero. Chorizos may be served with pan felipe or baguette bread, often called choripán.

Meats

.]] After appetizers, costillas or asado de tira (ribs) can be served. Next comes vacío (flank steak), matambre and possibly chicken and (goatling). Dishes such as pamplona, pork, and Patagonian lamb are becoming more frequent, particularly in restaurants. An asado also includes bread, a simple mixed salad of, for instance, lettuce, tomato, and onions, or it could be accompanied with verdurajo (grilled vegetables), a mixture made of potatoes, corn, onion, and eggplant cooked on the grill and seasoned with olive oil and salt. Beer, wine, soft drinks, and other beverages are common. Dessert is usually fresh fruit. ), shown above, is a typical dish from Spanish cuisine, as is the similar Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig).]] Another traditional form to mainly roast the meat, used in Patagonia, is with the whole animal (especially lamb and pork) in a wooden stick nailed in the ground and exposed to the heat of live coals, called asado al palo. The meat for an asado is not marinated, the only preparation being the application of salt before or during the cooking period. Also, the heat and distance from the coals are controlled to provide a slow cooking; it usually takes around two hours to cook asado. Further, grease from the meat is not encouraged to fall on the coals and create smoke, which would adversely flavour the meat. In some asados the area directly under the meat is kept clear of coals. The asado is usually placed in a tray to be immediately served, but it can also be placed on a brasero right on the table to keep the meat warm. Chimichurri, a sauce of chopped parsley, dried oregano, garlic, salt, black pepper, onion, and paprika with olive oil, or salsa criolla, a sauce of tomato and onion in vinegar, are common accompaniments to an asado, where they are traditionally used on the offal, but not the steaks.

Similar terms in other cuisines

South American asado should not be confused with asado in the Philippines, which refers to two different braised dishes: asado de carajay, which is braised meat with vegetables in a savory stew; and pork asado, which is a sweet braised version of char siu. The equivalent of Latin American asado barbecues in Philippine cuisine would be the various inihaw dishes (also known as sinugba or inasal). In Portugal, a roasted fish dish served with sausages and bacon is also known as assado. In Goa, roast beef is called assad, from Portuguese assado. In South Africa, the activity of cooking meat or sausages on a grill over a fire is termed a braai. When a whole meat carcass cooked similarly to the al asador method, it is called asado spit braai or spit roast.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371716249 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.

Names in other languages