Argentina is a country of immigrants, and its criollo
(creole) entertaining style draws on the world community.
From Spain, France, and Italy as well as Germany, Britain
and Eastern Europe, recipes affectionately passed down
for generations spell family and tradition. Imaginative
experiments bring centuries of history to a single dish.
With Pampas grasslands nurturing the world's finest beef,
and rivers and Atlantic coastline offering fine fish
and shellfish, Argentine cooking celebrates riches of
both land and sea.
Not surprisingly, Argentine foods show strong European
influences. Breads are similar to Italian or French loaves
rather than tortillas, and flavorful, hearty seasonings
are preferred to those that are spicy and hot. The most
famous sauce is chimichurri, a cross between Mexican
salsa and Italian vinaigrette, used as both sauce and
marinade, and passed at the table to season grilled meats.
Every cook has a preferred variation, ranging from mild
to wildly garlicky to hot.
Potatoes and pasta have cherished places in Argentinean
cuisine, and the techniques of barbecue, roasting, and
deep-frying is preferred. Tomatoes, onions and green
peppers are flavor standards, while parsley, fresh oregano,
paprika, thyme and bay leaves add depth. Capitalizing
on vast cattle resources, cooks use beef and veal drippings
as well as vegetable oil for baked goods and frying.
Olive oil is popular for its distinctive flavor, as are
cream, pancetta and Parmesan cheese for Italian-influenced
dishes.
No discussion of Argentine foods can be complete without
an appreciation of the finest beef and lamb, grown on
the billowing grasslands of the Pampas by gauchos, those
acknowledged masters of cattle breeding and management.
The mestizo descendants of indigenous people and early
European immigrants, the leather-clad gauchos are international
symbols of Argentina, with their bolas (stones joined
by rope -- thrown with great accuracy) and their legendary
payada ballads celebrating hunting and fighting. Traditionally
viewed as rustic and somewhat dangerous, they are also
cherished as embodiments of the true criollo personality
-- proud, tough and individualistic.
The gauchos' realm is an unbroken expanse of prairie
that stretches to the horizon. Traditionally divided
into seigneurial estates called estancias, this expanse
gives the herds of cattle and sheep that graze the "green
and immeasurable ocean" of prairie more space to
roam than North American counterparts. Their meat therefore
has more texture and can even be a bit chewy, but the
depth of flavor in the grass-fed meat makes it infinitely
delicious. Gourmets claim to be able to taste flavor
differences between breeds, and the finest restaurants,
realizing that no single animal can offer the finest
cut in every category, compete for the best cuts of beef
from various suppliers.
Grilling a la parilla over a bank of hot coals in a traditional
churrasco (barbecue) is the most popular preparation
for beefsteaks and ribs. Prized organ meats like kidneys,
sweetbreads, tripe and liver are also prepared with savory
marinades and grilled, sautéed or made into hearty
soups and stews. Braised mixtures of meats and vegetables,
and occasionally dried fruits, are popular. The classic
locro stew uses pork; beef and corn as well as tomatoes
and winter squash, and in its more elegant form may be
served in a pumpkin.
Besides beef in every form, the dish for which Argentine
cuisine is famous -- a standard among housewives and
celebrated chefs alike -- is the delicious empanada,
a savory meat turnover served with chimichurri sauce.
A thin but sturdy pastry encases chopped beefsteak, green
olives, onions and hard-cooked eggs seasoned with fresh
oregano and green onions. The result can be baked or
deep-fried. Juicy, flavorful empanadas are a source of
great pride and a powerful temptation to guests at party
time.
Atlantic fish and shellfish, particularly salmon and
the delicious white-fleshed chernia, are also grilled
on the churrasco. Prawns and large trout may be prepared
Spanish style with lots of garlic and olive oil, French
style with cream and white wine, or Italian style with
plenty of herbs, depending on the nationality of the
cook's parents or grandparents.
Argentine desserts like the popular dulce de leche, a
caramelized milk and sugar concoction used for fillings
and puddings, resemble their Spanish cousins. They are
sweet and characterized more by texture (sponge cake,
custard, coconut ice cream, filled cookies, etc) than
strong flavors. Light suggestions of vanilla, honey,
almonds and walnuts are popular inspirations for dessert,
and often pair well with flowery Torrontes wines.
© 2002-2006, San
Telmo Wines
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