Salt cross-cut short ribs with coarse salt only. Cook bone side down over gentle embers for 35 to 40 minutes, then flip for 10 to 15 minutes to finish. Never over flames. Serve with chimichurri.
Embers raked under a raised grate, no flames. If you are using a kettle, a modest bed with the grate as high as it will go.
Method
Burn wood down to embers first
A true asado uses embers raked from a separate fire, never flames. Flames deposit soot and burn the outside before the inside warms. Wait until the fuel has burnt down to a steady grey-red glow with no flame at all.
Salt, and nothing else
Coarse salt on both sides, applied just before cooking. That is the entire seasoning. Argentinian asado is a demonstration of beef and fire, and marinades are considered a way of hiding poor meat.
Bone side down, and wait
Lay the ribs bone side down over gentle embers and leave them for 35 to 40 minutes. The bone shields the meat and conducts heat slowly. You should be able to hold a hand above the grate for six or seven seconds.
Make chimichurri while it cooks
Finely chop the parsley and garlic by hand rather than blending, which turns it into a bitter green paste. Mix with oregano, chilli, vinegar and salt, then stir in the oil. Let it sit at least 30 minutes.
Flip once, briefly
Turn the ribs meat side down for the last 10 to 15 minutes to colour the surface. This side is much shorter, because there is no bone protecting it.
Cut between the bones and serve
Cut into individual ribs and serve with chimichurri and bread. Asado de tira is served cooked through rather than pink, which is correct for this cut and this method.
Notes worth knowing
- Ask the butcher for tira de asado or flanken-cut short ribs around 2cm thick, thicker than Korean LA-cut.
- Never blend chimichurri. Hand-chopped parsley stays green and distinct; blended parsley goes bitter and khaki within an hour.
- If your fire is flaming, you are not ready to cook. Wait.
Common questions
Should asado be served rare?
No. Thin cross-cut short ribs are cooked through in the Argentinian tradition, unlike a thick steak. The long gentle cook renders the fat and connective tissue without drying the meat.
What is the difference between asado de tira and Korean galbi?
The same basic cut, sliced at different thicknesses and treated in opposite ways. Galbi is thin, marinated in sweet soy and cooked in minutes over fierce heat. Asado de tira is thicker, salted only, and cooked slowly over embers.
Cook these next
Short ribSmoked Beef Short Ribs
Brisket flavour on a bone, and considerably harder to ruin. Plate short ribs are the single most impressive thing you can put on a charcoal cooker.
Short ribKorean Galbi, LA-Cut Short Ribs
Short ribs cut thin across the bone so they cook in minutes. The marinade uses pear, which genuinely tenderises rather than just flavouring.
Short ribSmoked Beef Cheeks
The hardest-working muscle on the animal becomes the most tender thing on the plate. Beef cheeks are pure collagen, and low slow smoke turns them to silk.