Danny's Birthday and Asado 101

Saturday, Danny's birthday, was really fun. We had another asado, and boy oh boy do we love them. The term asado is a technique used for cooking the meat, but it is also the name of the gathering. At the asado there is different cuts of beef alongside other meats, which are cooked on a grill (parrilla) or open fire. Most Argentines have a parrilla in their home, and share an asado with their family on Sundays.

This asado was held at Alfredo's house (Danny's boss). We were with Danny's team from work. According to them this was a more typical asado. Our last asado was more wild. We got to Alfredo's house at 1pm and stayed until 8pm. We just relax and take it easy all day. This is normal for them at an asado!

Everyone has their own way of having an asado, but here's the basic outline:

-Start with bread, cheese, and some sort of meat. This is served with beer, Coca-cola, or red wine. You talk for a couple hours while the meat is cooking. Cooking the asado is a slow process.

-When the first cut of meat is ready then you begin. There is an order which the meat is served, it's not all brought out at once. At both the asados we've been to the Costillas or asado de tira (ribs) are served first (This is my favorite!). Such good meat! There is always bread, a simple mixed salad of, for instance lettuce, tomato, and onion (lechuga, tomate, y cebolla). The blood sausage made an appearance again, this one was a little bit better then the last, but I would still not say it was good. There was vacío(flank steak), mollejas (sweet bread)-this is not really bread, it's carne, it has something to do with the saliva producing gland. I can't remember the other types of meat, but some of them they would not tell us what it was. They said it was best that we didn't know :). This meal is usually served with red wine.

-All of this scrumptious food is followed by drinking Fernet (I mentioned this in a previous blog). I was taught the way to make a good Fernet. To make a Fernet and Coke, use a tall glass filled with ice, then pour the Fernet up to 1/3 of the glass, fill the rest of the way with Coke, then top off with a splash more of Fernet (this is called crowning). Fernet is used as a digestive aid after the meal is finished.

-You clear the plates and then it's time for mate and pastries. Mate is their beloved tea. It's like how Portlander's are with coffee, but more intense. Mate is the name for the devise in which you drink the mate as well. You use a metal straw with a filter called a bombillo. Danny's team bought him a mate for his birthday (pictured). They are going to show him how to 'heal it' at work today. There's a process it has to go through before you can drink out of it. If you don't 'heal it' the mate is ruined. Danny really loved his gift.

-Next (this isn't part of their tradition) I brought out a lemon meringue pie for Danny. We sang 'Happy Birthday' to him in Spanish. He was really embarrassed, and especially that I got him a little “23” candle.

-We went outside and talked for a couple more hours and drank some more Fernet (very slowly). We found that once you finish the Fernet they notice your glass is empty and want to give you more.

-A lot of times there is more meat left at this point and people continue the night with eating more meat, and whatever side dishes are leftover.

So, there you have it. Now you can have an asado of your own!