ASADO AL PALO - How to prepare it easily and manage the fire

In this article we offer you a very scenic traditional South American recipe: Asado al palo!

Follow our detailed tips to make preparation easy and learn how to effectively manage live fire.

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INGREDIENTS:

• Beef rib eye

• Fine salt

• Pepper

Side:

• Potatoes

• Spice mix

  
  

Salsa Criolla:

• Peppers

• Tomatoes

• Onion

• Thyme

• Chives

• Lime

• Oil

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PREPARATION:

The word asado is a Spanish term meaning "grilled" and represents a cooking method that originated in the vast Argentine prairies and spread throughout South America.

A common mistake is actually associating the word with a cut of meat and not with the type of preparation, but in reality even in tradition there are three types of asado: asado al palo , asado a la cruz and asado a la parilla , precisely to indicate the different tools used to allow cooking on the grill.

We can now proceed with the preparation, which will be truly simple and quick. In this case, we'll pay homage to tradition, which emphasizes the flavor of the meat itself as the main ingredient, without adding any special spices, which would simply burn with such direct heat.

The only cleaning we have to do is remove the pleura and we help ourselves thanks to our Spleurator® .

In this case, we don't remove the excess fat, because it will keep the meat moist and flavorful. The direct heat will allow us to melt most of it.

To finish preparing the cut, sprinkle all the meat with salt and pepper.

To cook it, we need to get a long skewer and insert it along the rib (i.e., remaining parallel to the bones) into the cut of meat, using a central bone as a reference.

Finally, we secure the meat with the special porchetta forks and place the spit on the rotisserie.

The meat should be placed in the center of the grill, right above the fire, and before starting the motor, let's do a few tests to see if the meat is balanced on the spit and secure.

Unlike our traditional recipes, the preparation was short, but we will have to follow and pay close attention throughout the cooking phase.

To best manage the fire, we placed a few small pieces of wood on the bottom of the brazier, ensuring that they remain flat and produce a low but uniform flame.

As for cooking times, make yourself comfortable, it will take many hours: the rib is a tough piece of meat, it needs to be cooked well and for a long time.

After several hours on the fire, the asado al palo has changed appearance: the fire has browned it, coloring especially the most protruding pieces and the tips of the bones, which will be much more visible due to the shrinkage of the meat.

To know if we can remove it from the spit, all we have to do is measure the core temperature, which must have reached 70°C, so that the meat is cooked but still pink.

Before it finishes cooking, let's move on to preparing a side dish and an accompaniment to the meat.

As a side dish we will make some grilled potatoes.

If you're in a hurry, simply blanch the potatoes in water for 5 minutes with salt and a splash of vinegar before placing them on the oiled grill. Once on the grill, add a mix of spices and salt to taste for a little flavor.

After a few minutes, to check if the potatoes are cooked, simply cut one with a spatula and if the cut is easy, then the potatoes are ready.

To accompany the meat we will make a kind of gremolada sauce typical of South America: salsa Criolla.

To make it, we start with the peppers, onion, and tomatoes, which we clean and dice. Add the aromatics: thyme, chives, lime, and a drizzle of oil.

Once the meat has reached the target temperature, we can remove it from the heat.

All we have to do is cut it and see how it turned out.

We recommend removing all the meat from the bone and portioning it out onto a single serving platter. At the table, simply have your guests assemble their own plates, inviting them to add the Salsa Criolla and potatoes, for a truly flavorful and convivial meal.