flipSunday Asado Rosario-Style
Sunday Asado Rosario-Style
Why this dish? The asado is THE ritual of the Messi family in Rosario. Lionel grew up with Sunday barbecues among cousins and neighbors; he has often said that, even at the peak of world football, nothing beat the family asado back home. It is the dish of his Argentine roots.
A slow grill of several cuts of beef (and sometimes sausages) cooked over wood embers, served as they cook with chimichurri. More than a dish, a moment that lasts all afternoon.
Che, come sit down, the asado is not a race, we have time. At home in Rosario, on Sundays, my old man lit the fire early and we waited for the embers while chatting — never direct flame under the meat, otherwise you burn the outside and it stays raw inside. The secret is patience: you salt generously, you let the fire do its work, and you cut with a knife while sharing. I can play in front of a hundred thousand people, but happiness is this: the meat, my loved ones around the table, tranquilo.
- •Beef cuts (ribs, flank, skirt) — as much as the table needs (heart of the grill)
- •Coarse salt (sal gruesa) — generously (only seasoning for the meat)
- •Hardwood embers — a good bed (slow cooking and smoke)
- •Parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, oil, dried mild chili — for the chimichurri (accompanying sauce)
Sunday Asado Rosario-Style
A slow grill of several cuts of beef (and sometimes sausages) cooked over wood embers, served as they cook with chimichurri. More than a dish, a moment that lasts all afternoon.
Why this dish? The asado is THE ritual of the Messi family in Rosario. Lionel grew up with Sunday barbecues among cousins and neighbors; he has often said that, even at the peak of world football, nothing beat the family asado back home. It is the dish of his Argentine roots.
Che, come sit down, the asado is not a race, we have time. At home in Rosario, on Sundays, my old man lit the fire early and we waited for the embers while chatting — never direct flame under the meat, otherwise you burn the outside and it stays raw inside. The secret is patience: you salt generously, you let the fire do its work, and you cut with a knife while sharing. I can play in front of a hundred thousand people, but happiness is this: the meat, my loved ones around the table, tranquilo.
Ingredients (period version)
- Beef cuts (ribs, flank, skirt) — as much as the table needs (heart of the grill)
- Coarse salt (sal gruesa) — generously (only seasoning for the meat)
- Hardwood embers — a good bed (slow cooking and smoke)
- Parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, oil, dried mild chili — for the chimichurri (accompanying sauce)
Ingredients
- Beef skirt or flank steak — 200 g per person (main meat)
- Coarse salt — 1 tablespoon (seasoning)
- Flat-leaf parsley — 1 large bunch (base of chimichurri)
- Garlic — 3 cloves (aromatic)
- Dried oregano — 1 teaspoon (aromatic)
- Red wine vinegar — 3 tablespoons (acidity)
- Olive oil — 8 tablespoons (binder for the sauce)
- Mild chili flakes — 1 pinch (light kick)
Method
- Prepare the chimichurri: finely chop parsley and garlic, mix with oregano, vinegar, oil, salt, and chili flakes. Let rest at least 30 min.
- Light a barbecue and wait for gray embers (no flames).
- Salt the meat generously with coarse salt just before placing it on the grill.
- Grill over moderate, steady heat, fat side first, without turning too often.
- Let the meat cook to medium-rare depending on the cut, then let it rest a few minutes.
- Slice against the grain and serve with a knife, drizzled with chimichurri, as you go.
How it was made : The asado descends from the gauchos of the pampas who roasted beef vertically over a wood fire (asado al asador). The horizontal parrilla and the Sunday family ritual became a pillar of Argentine identity in the 20th century.
The contemporary twist : If you don't have embers, sear on a very hot griddle and then finish with a touch of smoke from a home smoker (beech chips) to approximate the taste of the pampas.
Lionel Messi · Charactorium
