Argentinian Meat and Main Dish Recipes

Argentina is very much a cattle country, the excellent quality of the Argentine meat is a product of the large pastures of the Pampas; the animals are slaughtered young, at 18 to 36 months of age, thus ensuring a special tenderness to the meat. Lamb meat isn't appreciated much troughout the country, except in Patagonia, where there are huge herds of sheep and salt marshes of exceptional quality.

The Churrasqueria is an institution in Argentina. The most important ones feature an asador, hard wood fire, on which they roast over the heat of the flame for hours, beef, suckling pigs and goats. The grilled meat are often accompanied by salad and a spicy sauce, the chimichurri, that is described elsewhere on this site. The empanadas (small meat pies) are as numerous as there are provinces; they can be made with beef, chicken, cheese, corn, seasoned with olive oil, tomatoes, peppers, chili peppers, they make excellent appetizers or first course. An example of an argentine dish, the locro is a traditional long-simmered stewed meat dish, where corn kernels are mixed with white beans, and many different kind of meats give its unique taste: oxtail, pig's trotters, beef jerky, tripe, chorizo ​​... A spicy sauce made with onions, chilies, and bell peppers accompanies the locro.