Steak and Asado in Buenos Aires: What to Order and What to Expect

My first order at a Buenos Aires parrilla was a disaster. I asked for my steak 'medium-rare' and received something that looked more like roast beef. After the third attempt I understood: Argentine cooking terms do not map onto British ones. You need to learn the local vocabulary.

The cuts to know

Bife de chorizo (no relation to the sausage) is the signature Argentine cut. A thick sirloin, usually 400-600g, well-marbled, grilled over wood coals. The one you should order your first time.

Ojo de bife is ribeye. More fat than bife de chorizo, deeper flavour. Some people prefer it. Slightly more expensive.

Bife de lomo is fillet. Leaner, more tender, less flavour. Tourists often order it because they recognise it. Argentines consider it a lesser cut.

Tira de asado is short ribs, cross-cut into long strips. The classic asado cut. Requires patience — it's cooked low and slow. Extraordinary when done properly.

Vacío is flank steak. Looks less glamorous but can be exceptional. Often underestimated.

Entraña is skirt steak. Thin, grilled quickly, very popular. More flavour per gram than most cuts.

Ordering doneness

This is where Brits go wrong. Argentine doneness runs hotter than British:

• Vuelta y vuelta (literally 'turn and turn'): very quick sear, almost raw inside. Rare.
• Jugoso (juicy): pink throughout, warm. This is medium-rare in British terms.
• A punto: pink in the centre. Medium.
• Bien cocido (well cooked): grey throughout. What arrives if you say nothing.

If you want British medium-rare, order jugoso. If you want medium, order 'a punto'. Never trust your instincts.

The parrilla experience

A proper parrilla lunch works like this: you sit, they bring bread and chimichurri (herb oil), and you spend twenty minutes reading the menu that you will largely ignore in favour of bife de chorizo. You order, and then you wait. Real parrilla takes 25-40 minutes from order to plate. The coals need to be right.

The best parrillas in Buenos Aires:

• Don Julio (Palermo): city institution, queue from noon. Best quality I've found. Expensive by local standards (USD 40-60 per person).
• La Brigada (San Telmo): old-school parrilla, superb beef, no concessions to tourists.
• El Preferido de Palermo: neighbourhood classic, packed with locals, brilliant value.
• Parrilla Peña (Congress area): no frills, excellent beef, open late.

What is an asado?

Asado is the home version — a long, social barbecue over wood coals or charcoal in a backyard or terrace. The asado host (the asador) is responsible for the entire cook. It is a serious responsibility. Offering unsolicited advice to the asador is deeply rude.

An asado starts with the offal: chorizos (pork sausages), morcilla (blood sausage), mollejas (sweetbreads), and riñones (kidneys). These are the starters. The main beef arrives an hour later.

If you're invited to a friend's asado, bring wine or beer and arrive ready to stand around for three hours eating and talking. Do not offer to help unless asked. Do not check when the food will be ready. The asado happens in its own time.

What to drink with it

Red wine is correct. Malbec from Mendoza, or a Cabernet Sauvignon. For an informal asado, good beer works — Quilmes or Stella. Ice-cold water is always on the table.

Fernet and Coca-Cola (the Argentine national drink) is acceptable but firmly the afternoon/evening option rather than a lunch pairing.

Worth reading next

• Wine Culture in Buenos Aires
• Best Restaurants for British Expats
• Tipping Culture in Buenos Aires