Argentine asado
Non-vegetarian
Asado
A home-scale Argentine asado: cross-cut beef short ribs, flank and chorizo seasoned only with coarse salt and cooked slowly over low embers until smoky and tender.
Argentine asado is an Argentine main course from Argentina, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with beef short ribs and beef flank steak. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h 40 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 2 h 5 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 653
Allow another 40 minutes to light the fire and burn wood or charcoal down to embers.
Method
Step 1
Burn hardwood or charcoal down to glowing embers. Rake a thin layer of embers under the grill and keep a fire going to one side to feed fresh coals during cooking.
Food safety: Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby and never use petrol to start a fire.
How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels Step 2
Put the chorizos (opens in a new tab) on first over gentle heat — they take about 30 minutes, turned occasionally, and are eaten first as a starter.
- 30 min
- low heat
- Grill / barbecue (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Fresh sausages must be cooked through (71 °C inside).
Step 3
Salt the short ribs (opens in a new tab) and flank generously just before they go on. Lay the ribs bone-side down and the flank fat-side down over low heat (you should be able to hold your hand above the grill for 8–10 seconds).
- 5 min
- low heat
Step 4
Cook slowly, adding embers underneath as needed, for about 45 minutes on the first side until the meat is well browned and juices pool on top. Turn once and cook 20–30 minutes more.
- 75 min
- low heat
- Grill / barbecue (opens in a new tab)
Step 5
Rest the meat 10 minutes, then cut the flank across the grain and serve everything on a board with bread and lemon (opens in a new tab).
- 5 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Argentina · Well documentedAsado is a defining social ritual in Argentina and equally central in Uruguay; the gaucho tradition of fire-roasted beef is shared across the Río de la Plata.Also popular in Uruguay, Paraguay, ChileMore food from Argentina
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Grills & kebabs
- Cooking method
- Grilled, Barbecued
- Taste
- smoky, savoury, rich
- Diet
- Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-proteinWithout the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein - Good for
- Festive & celebration
- Cook more with
- Beef short ribs · Beef flank steak · Chorizo
- Techniques
- Grilling · Broiling · Charcoal grilling
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
- Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
- May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette
- May contain: Sulphitesfrom chorizo
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
653 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 293 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 32%
- Carbohydrate 1%
- Fat 66%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 653 kcal | 223 kcal |
| Protein | 52.4 g | 17.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.9 g | 0.6 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 1.9 g | 0.6 g |
| Sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 47.8 g | 16.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 19.3 g | 6.6 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 203 mg | 69 mg |
| Sodium | 1137 mg | 388 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.8 g | 1 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 884 mg
- Calcium
- 52 mg
- Iron
- 5.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 58 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 6 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 6.3 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 16 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: crusty bread / baguette, lemon.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Low, steady heat and patience are the essence of asado — the meat should never flame.
Common mistakes
- Turning the meat repeatedly; an asador turns each cut only once.
Serve with
- Serve with chimichurri, salsa criolla, a mixed salad and provoleta (grilled provolone).
Food safety
- Cook chorizo to 71 °C with no pink.
- Keep raw meat chilled until it goes on the grill and use separate boards and tongs for raw and cooked meat.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days.
Reheating
- Warm thin slices briefly on a hot griddle.
Variations
- Asado con cuero (Argentina): A whole side of beef roasted on an iron cross by the fire, hide on.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Beef short ribs, cross-cut into strips (tira), at room temperature1.2 kg · 850 g
- Beef flank steak, in one piece, fat left on600 g
- Chorizo, whole links, unpricked300 g
- Crusty bread / baguette (optional)6 slice · 210 g
Reviews & corrections
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