Do you want to add a special flavor to your grilled meats? We'll teach you how to smoke an Argentine Asado BBQ like a grill master. You won't need to bother with lighting wood and waiting a long time for the wood's aroma to infuse into your food.
We'll show you step by step what you need to do to give your meats that typical smoky flavor of wood, and make your guests say, "¡Un aplauso para el asador!."
Why Smoke Meat?
For hundreds of years, the technique of smoking food has been used to preserve it, sealing the outer layer and keeping its properties inside. This is done for meats and fish, leaving the flavor intact. But it's also used to give the meat a characteristic smoke flavor that is very pleasing in barbecue cuts.
Woods Used for Smoking
Wood has a characteristic smell when burned, depending on the tree it comes from. Argentine grillers have a strong gastronomic tradition that has led them to identify the woods that are best suited for each occasion. Each type of wood has its characteristics and adds something special to the meat.
Here are some examples:
- Espinillo (Acacia): Imparts a strong and intense wood odor to the meat, adding a lot of flavor. Recommended for beef.
- Walnut: Has a robust flavor, adds a bacon-like style. Recommended for beef, pork, and chicken.
- Olive: Gives an earth-like sensation, leaves a taste close to honey. Recommended for red meats, chicken, fish, and also vegetables.
- Apple: Offers a sweet flavor, leaves fruity and subtle sensations. Recommended for premium meats, pork, poultry, and vegetables.
How to Smoke an Argentine Barbecue Step by Step
The traditional way to make an Argentine barbecue is by lighting wood until it turns into coals. Then, those coals are used to grill the meat. If we were to do it the traditional way, we would need several kilos of wood and a lot of patience to light it and obtain those coals.
In this post, we show you How to Make an Argentine Asado
Remember, the big difference in the Argentine recipe for grilling meat is not to do it over direct fire, but over the coals. It's a slower process, but it allows the meat to retain its juices and not burn on the outside.
Well, the way we'll do it will save us a lot of time and achieve the same results. For this, we will use wood chips from the HUMOS brand.
Step 1: Place the wood chips on the coals
First, you'll need to make a fire with charcoal until it turns into coals. Charcoal is used and can be lit in various ways: with paper, small woods, or a fire starter.
Then, once the coals are spread under the grill, we'll add the HUMOS wood chips.
These wood chips come in different presentations. You can place them directly on the coals, under the meat, or use a metal tray with the chips so that they heat up and release aromatic smoke.
Step 2: Place the meat on the grill
Once the wood chips are placed, you need to put the meat on the grill, over the smoke that will start to emerge.
Step 3: Cover the meat to better preserve the smoke
It's very convenient to take advantage of the smoke by covering the meat. It can be done with a special dome for this, or simply with a tray. The idea is for the smoke to stay as much as possible next to the meat while it cooks.
And that's it! When you finish making your Argentine barbecue, it will have an exquisite smoked flavor that will win the praise of your guests.
Be sure to visit our Asado & BBQ section. There, you'll find everything you need to cook like an Argentine grill master.
If you have any questions or inquiries, don't hesitate to write to us. At TheArgentino, we love to help you!