The following is a guest post by travel blogger Stephanie Yoder of Why Wait to See the World.
When you think of Argentinean cuisine, chances are that steak is the first thing that comes to mind. Meat is definitely the superstar in Argentina, even my vegetarian friends would email to ask me if it was really that good.
Yes, it really is THAT good.
I tried to research what exactly makes Argentinean beef so tasty and I’m still not sure. The Argentine pampas are ideal for cattle raising. Most cows are kept free of hormones, grass fed and raised free range. All of this plus some intangible Argentinean magic makes for the most mouth-watering steak you will ever taste.
So here’s how to best enjoy real Argentinean meat:
Choose your steakhouse wisely
While I’ve never had a bad steak in Buenos Aires I am sure they exist. Food isn’t cheap in this city either, so before heading out for a big dinner do a little internet research (or ask around) to find the best places.
Two of my reccomendations: La Cabrera for quality, Siga la Vaca for quantity.
OR: Cook it yourself
Some of the best (and cheapest) steak I ate were the ones we bought at the butcher around the corner and grilled up ourselves. If you’re renting an apartment, or even staying in a hostel with a kitchen this is a great idea- steak is really not difficult to cook and the argentinean kind requires very little seasoning- just some salt will do. Pick up a bottle of chimmichurri sauce to complete the effect.
Know your Cuts
Not all cuts of steak are created equal. Here are three really great pieces to start with:
Bife de Chorizo– big juicy and a little fattier, this is the money cut.
Vacio– flank steak. Thin and juicy and a little crispy.
Asado de Tira– A classic Argentinean favorite, these are short ribs piled with meat
Try the Extras
It’s not just the steak of course, Argentineans eat the whole cow! Definitely try some of the other pieces. If you’re less adventurous a chorizo (spicy sausage) is heavenly. If you’re more adventurous have shot at morcilla (blood sausage), rinones (kidneys) or chinchulines (intestines).
No matter which meat you try, be sure to give it a good dab of chimmichurii sauce.
Get a good bottle of red
The perfect accompaniment for any steak dinner!
I want to try Argentinean steak WITH Stephanie! Wouldn’t that be lovely!
@jade: I agree! It would be very lovely! 🙂
Missing my ojo de bife right about now.
@Erica: Siga La Vaca!
Goodness that looks delicious. When I visited BA a few years ago I couldn’t believe how good the beef was – Yes, really “THAT” good! For the first week in town I would get a 1 kilo steak at the butcher each evening and pan fry it just for a few minutes, even devouring it pretty much raw – definitely the best beef I’ve ever enjoyed!
@Mark Wiens: We learned to love our local butcher!
Perfect for meat-loving foodies!
I remember going to an Argentinian steak place in El Salvador. Ohmygod there was so much meat! After we finished eating we realized they had a salad bar too. 🙂
@Raymond @ Man On The Lam: haha “salad” is few and dar between in Argentina.
I’d be a fan of the cooking it myself option. Cheaper.. and I know it’s going to end up on my plate exactly how I want it!
@Laurence: I’m afraid to cook meat so I always make Mike do it- he’s better at it anyways.
@Laurence: In a couple different spots in Australia you can actually cook your own steaks in the restaurant / RSL that you are in. Its kind of neat because you can cook it just the way you want it and you don’t have to go grocery shopping or clean up after yourself! haha 🙂