Pick a Park: Carnivore Culture in Argentina

Argentina's food culture is all about MEAT! This is a little sad for Kateri’s diet, but a big windfall for Andrew’s protein intake. The new meat-based experiences fall into a few categories:

Street Food

As in many cultures, Argentina is home to an array of questionable streetside foods. The most everpresent and consistent is Choripan - a combination of Chorizo (sausage), pan (bread), and Chimichurri. This simple sandwich is something of a national heritage, replete with festivals, monuments and documentaries devoted to the dish.

Of the Choripan consumed so far, the only disappointment (stale bread, bland sausage, feelings of soullessness) was with a vegan option, ordered in futile optimism by Kateri. We discussed the higher price and inferior quality with Ben, our first host, a former chef and current entrepreneur/renaissance man. A pearl of wisdom flowed naturally from his childhood in a vegetarian household and experiences in professional meat-cookery:

“Let meat be meat, vegetables don’t need to pretend to be delicious”

Parrilla & Asada

In pursuit of that goal, there is no more pure expression of all that is meat than the humble Asado (barbecue) and the bountiful Parrilla (meat-tastic smorgasboard). In our second week in Buenos Aires, I was happy to join in preparing a Parrilla by acting as sous-chef for two organ meats on the fire - Chinchullias (intestines) and Morcheca (sweetbreads - the glands of the cow). I learned to ‘express’ and braid the intestines from YouTube.

Intestines are not for the faint of heart, consisting of a chewy outside and a squishy inside, something like a thick meat noodle. The flavor divides Argentines, but I’m a big fan. Since most in the U.S. don’t eat these, you can pick them up from a bargain at whole-cow butchers. Friends can expect odd discount barbecues when I return.

Sweetbreads are a better option for those with delicate palettes, like the softest, butteriest chicken breast you can imagine. You’ve probably seen them on a cooking show or two if you’re into the Food Network or Chef’s Table.

We also dined on a full slate of cow-based delectables, including steak, chorizo, blood pudding, and chicken, courtesy of head BBQ master Jack of Australia. The keys here are a wood fire, high quality cows, salt and lemon. Argentina’s primary export and culinary pride is its cow production, and meat is often cheaper than veggies here. Everyone gets a little of the distinct flavors of each cut - the meat is meat in all its variety.