FOOD & DRINK

How to Parrilla in Buenos Aires

By Tyee Bridge

For Buenos Aires residents, known as Porteños, there are only two things more important than tango: politics and parrilla.

Parrilla means barbecue, and in a country that eats more beef than any nation on earth, socializing over grilled meat is a national pastime. Cattle imported by the Spanish have grazed the pampas grasslands since the 16th century, and despite the recent growth of North American-style feedlots, most Argentinian beef remains grass-fed and de facto organic – free of corn feeds, hormones and antibiotics. The result is leaner, more flavourful meat, the perfect indulgence for visiting carnivores.

The cowboy gauchos who ruled the pampas for over two centuries inspired the elemental parrilla cooking style. Because gauchos did not carry around spice racks or cans of tomato paste, in Argentina meat tastes like meat, not sauce. Parrilla cuts, typically seasoned only by salt and fire, are served with a side of chimichurri – a subtle but tasty concoction of olive oil, garlic, parsley, onion and a dash of oregano.

Start your meal with a chilled glass of Gancia on the rocks, a vermouth-like aperitif with notes of lemon and indefinable herbs. Or, if you dare, Fernet Branca and Coke, another local favourite. The taste of Fernet, a thick red herbal concoction, has been compared to rubber bands and NyQuil, but each glass tastes better than the last.

Choices at a Buenos Aires parrilla restaurant can be a bit disorienting, so here’s a glossary of what to expect. Take some chances. After all, when is the next time you’ll get a chance to eat grilled thymus glands?

Bife de chorizo: Sirloin (not spicy sausage), not as tender as lomo but often more flavourful – sort of like a rib-eye.
Bife de costilla: A T-bone, usually the size of the plate.
Chinchulines: Crispy intestines.
Cuadril: Rump steak.
Lomo: Tenderloin, a choice cut.
Mollejas: Sweetbreads, a.k.a. the thymus glands (actually quite delicious).
Morcilla: Blood sausage/black pudding, for the brave.
Tira de asado: Short ribs.
Vacio: A flank steak, not terribly tender, but cheap and a local favourite.
Verdurajo: Grilled vegetables.

Wash down your parrilla with a glass of peppery Malbec, Argentina’s national red from the Andean foothills. Argentinian desserts tend to be rich pastries or the intensely sweet condensed-milk pudding known as dulce de leche, so if you’ve just finished your first meal of parrilla – an intense experience – it might be best to opt for some fresh fruit, or another glass of Gancia.

There are myriad variations on parrilla in Argentina. Case in point: Gauchos occasionally cooked sides of beef in a pit, hide and all, a practice called al cuero (in the leather). You can still find this if you tour the Pampas. Try it if you get the chance; the meat, by all accounts, is as tender as butter. In Buenos Aires proper, your parrilla options are numerous. Here’s a trio of restaurants in three different districts, with three different takes on the concept:

El Obrero Pictures of famous diners like Robert Duvall adorn the walls, but you won’t pay celebrity prices. This is your basic family-run parrilla with a great local atmosphere.

Parrilla al Carbón A busy everyman’s joint in the Center district of B.A., this casual restaurant serves up cheap set meals (steak, fries and cola) and sausage sandwiches.

Rodizio Located by the touristy harbour area (and the striking tango-inspired cantilever bridge called the Puente de la Mujer), Rodizio is pricier but worth it. You can order a single steak or you can have small portions of nearly all the meats listed above, lopped off a skewer at your table. Expect to pay about $30 for the full experience, including appetizer bar, aperitif and Malbec.

(Tyee Bridge is a Vancouver writer who loves travelling and needs to eat more vegetables.)

Useful information:

El Obrero, Agustín R. Caffarena 64, 54-11-4362-9912
Parrilla al Carbon, Lavalle 663, 54-11-4328-0824
Rodizio, Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 838, 54-11-4334-3638

TOP PHOTO: PORTAL OFICIAL DE TURISMO. GOBIERNO DE LA CIUDAD DE BUENOS AIRES
PARRILLA: EDDIE ARROSSI / EAPHOTOSTOCK
FIELD: JOHNATHAN ESPER / ISTOCKPHOTO
RIBS: GABRIEL DOMENICHELLI / ISTOCKPHOTO
SAUSAGES: GABRIEL DOMENICHELLI / ISTOCKPHOTO