Asado with Chimichurri
Argentine asado for a home grill: short ribs and skirt steak over slow fire, coarse salt only, with proper rested chimichurri.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 1 h 30 min
- total
- 1 h 45 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
Asado is Argentina’s Sunday religion, and its first commandment is restraint: coarse salt is the only seasoning, because fire and time do the rest. The meat cooks far from the coals, slowly, and the asador’s patience is the main ingredient.
Chimichurri waits at the table, never brushed on the grill. Made an hour ahead so the garlic and oregano settle into the oil, it is the sauce for the meat and for the bread you eat while pretending not to hover.
Asado with Chimichurri is one of the world's classic dishes from 67 countries.
method
Make the chimichurri at least an hour ahead: stir the parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, oil, chili and a pinch of salt. Do not blend; chimichurri is chopped, not puréed.
Light a generous bed of charcoal and let it burn to glowing coals; no flames touch asado.
Salt the meat coarsely on both sides.
Grill the short ribs bone-side down first, far from the coals, 30 to 40 minutes, then flip for 20 to 30 more, until deeply browned and tender at the bone.
Grill the skirt steak closer to the heat, 3 to 4 minutes a side, and rest it 5 minutes before slicing across the grain.
Serve in rounds as things come off, with chimichurri spooned over at the table.
chef's tips
- Low and slow for the ribs is the whole art; asado is a conversation, not a sear.
- Chimichurri is a table sauce; it burns on the grill and sulks about it.
- No charcoal setup: a 160°C oven for 2.5 hours then a brutal pan sear gets the ribs honorably close.