It might be summer in Argentina right now, but a hearty beef parrillada (or mixed grill) is the country’s favorite meal year-round. Along with Uruguay, Argentina consumes the most beef per capita of any country in the world, usually around 100 lbs. a year per person, depending on your source.
“In Argentina, asado is a tradition whose rituals, mysteries and lore rival any organized religion,” says John Manion, the Brazil-raised chef-owner of Chicago’s El Che Steakhouse & Bar, which interprets asado for U.S. diners. “It harkens back to the gauchos raising cattle on the pampa, and it permeates nearly every facet of society.”
Wood fire and smoke are crucial to asado, which the home griller can achieve by letting hardwood burn down to coal, or using lump charcoal to begin with. A gas grill won’t cut it, no matter how powerful. Asados are often cooked over fire pits with the meat hanging on large tripods or angled iron crosses, but even a simple Weber kettle grill can work well.
“You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment—I’ve literally seen a person grill over box springs in a park in Buenos
