Beef is king in Buenos Aires and is undoubtedly one of the best things that Buenos Aires has to offer. Traditionally, Argentines cook their beef, slow and steady over a parrilla(pa-REE-sha, or grill). The unique feature of the Argentine parrillas the manner in which the meats are cooked. Rather than using ready-made charcoal, asadores(grillmasters) cook their meats over hot coals pulled directly from piles of burning wood. The word asado(ah-SA-doh) not only refers to a large home BBQ prepared for large groups of friends, but also to a cut of meat that the Argentines serve.
There are 3 ways to order your beef:
Jugoso(who-GO-so): Medium-rare, or juicy; red center, pink
A punto(a-POON-toe): Medium, pink through out
Cocido(co-SEE-doh): Well-done, crisp outside, no pink
Here’s a quick guide to parrilla vocabulary:
| English | Español | Pronunciation |
| Barbecue | Asado | ah-SAH-doh |
| Blood sausage | Morcilla | more-SEE-sha |
| Chicken | Pollo | POY-show |
| Chop | Chuleta | Choo-LAY-tah |
| Skirt steak | Entraña | en-TRAH-nya |
| Flank steak | Vacio | vah-SEE-oh |
| Intestine | Chinchulín | cheen-CHOO-leen |
| Kid (Goat) | Chivito | Chee-vee-toh |
| Kidneys | Riñones | rin-YON-ays |
| Lamb | Cordero | cor-DER-oh |
| Liver | Hígado | ee-GAH-doh |
| Pork | Cerdo | SER-doh |
| Rabbit | Conejo | cone-AYE-hoe |
| Rack of ribs | Tira de asado | TEE-rah day ah-SAH-doh |
| Rib steak | Bife de costilla | BEE-fay day koh-STEE-sha |
| Sausage sandwich | Choripán | cho-REE-pahn |
| Sirloin steak | Bife de chorizo | BEE-fay day chor-EE-zoh |
| Suckling pig | Lechón | lay-CHON |
| Sweetbread | Molleja | moe-SHAY-ha |
| Tenderloin | Bife de lomo | BEE-fay day LOW-moe |
| Tripe | Mondongo | mohn-DOHN-go |
| Traditional condiment | Chimichurri | chee-mee-CHOO-ree |
| Veal | Ternera | ter-NER-ah |
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READ FULL ARTICLE and learn the 3 traditional courses of a Real Argentinean Asado
Source: LandingPadBA.com
When attending an asado or visiting a parrilla-themed restaurant, tradition loosely dictates the following:
1st Course: Picada
(spread of dried/cured meats and cheeses), served with red wine. This course is more typical to the homeasado, and rarely appears along side aparrilladaserved in a restaurant.
2nd Course: Achuras
During this second course, delectable grilled nibbles appear at the table. The offerings during this course vary according to availability and the chef’s tastes, but may include delicious innards—such asmolleja(grilled sweet bread),chinchulin(grilled small intestine) andriñon(grilled kidney)—and almost always includechorizo(grilled sausage) and/ormorcilla(blood sausage). Served with French bread and topped withchimichurri(a delicious condiment), many make sandwiches calledchoripánormorcipanfrom these tasty sausages.
3rd Course: Carne
Like the second course, the offerings selected for this third course vary. The third course is commonly served withpapas fritas(french fries) andensalada(salad, often a simple bowl of sliced tomatoes), and will include a selection of the following: one or several types of steak.
Edited by: Heather Houde