4.01.2007

#2 Argentina: Minimalist Dream

Representing Argentina in a meal could take place in a number of different ways. The history of the country vis-a-vis other Latin American countries is unique and fascinating. That great pendulum swing between liberal radicalism and conservative radicalism has occurred with regularity and could have served as an inspiration for an Argentine meal.

The heroic war to 'liberate' Las Malvinas (Falkland Islands) from the British could have been another thematic approach to the preparation of this meal, but was discarded; it would hardly be fair to limit our culinary exploration of the Argentine history and culture to a four month war in the early eighties (after all does anyone really want to be judged based on their behavior in the early 80s). On the other hand, it could be argued that odd sovereignty claims are very Argentinian in nature: they lay claim to about 20% of Antarctica, a territory that overlaps substantially with Chile and Britain (makes one wonder what it is about British territory that makes it so attractive).


Despite the great deal of historical material from which to draw a thematic focus, instead we wanted to concentrate on the incredible natural resources of the country and create a meal fit for a minimalist's dream.

Argentinian minimalism can be seen in the country’s rich cowboy, or gaucho, culture. These virile men roam the vast, wheat-filled plains dutifully watching herds of massive, grass-fed cattle under a gentle sun (it is not fully understood why the herd would be roaming through a wheat field or why the gaucho would allow this). They go home to their family, drink a bottle of red wine, eat a steak, and go to sleep. Ah, the simple life, unencumbered by nuance, free from the existential concerns of the modern lifestyle, this was the Argentina we wanted to represent.

This rugged simplicity (or at least as it exists in our imagination) is what lead us to the creation of our meal. The meal is simple, but delicious. It is even healthy, if approached with moderation.

T-Bone Asado

Ingredients:

T-Bone Steak, well marbleized, the size of a book (moderation is in the eye of the beholder)
A small pinch of salt
A small pinch of pepper

Equipment:

A grill
Charcoal
Heat source

Method:

Take these beautiful pieces of meat and very lightly sprinkle them with some salt and pepper. This is not a rub, but a dusting.

Get the grill going and place the steaks on the grill. Cook until the steaks are rare to medium rare. Understand that, if cooking T-bones, the meat around the bone will be much less cooked than the meat on the outsides especially if cooking times are short and heat is high.

Remove from heat when perfect.

Ensalada Completa

Ingredients:

Lettuce, one head worth, preferably butter lettuce (we have no clue if it is authentically Argentinian, but it is definitely tasty and has a great texture)
Two slicing tomatoes
One onion
Coarse salt
Olive Oil
Vinegar, preferably Balsamic

Equipment:

A bowl
A knife

Method:

Cut lettuce, tomatoes, onions. Place in bowl. Lightly toss with coarse salt. When ready to eat, toss with moderate amount of oil and vinegar.

Wine

We cooked under the influence of a light Malbec and highly suggest the same for anyone else attempting this meal. It was medium bodied, not too complex, and pleasantly fruity. We then drank with our meal an Argentinian Cabernet grown at a higher altitude. It was a robust, earthy but well balanced wine with good structure and a gentle nose. According to our local wine guru, grapes grown at higher altitudes produce a more structured wine because the contrast between day and night temperatures allow the grapes to retain their natural acidity. Whatever the reason, this is a wine that went very nicely with the steak.

Review:

*Note: Rachel did not participate in this review. She also took the camera to her friend's wedding not understanding the full importance of this food experiment.

We gave the T-Bone Asado 4.5 globes because it was generally delicious and tender. After making Nigerien kabobs with stew meat (the thought of which still makes my jaws cramp up) we went to the local butcher shop and got some really nice high class organic steaks and the results were well worth the extra money and effort. Using a really nice cut of beef made the most of our really simple preparation. Without any excessive seasoning, the natural flavor of the product really came through.

We gave the salad 4 globes because it was delicious, simple and refreshing. The gentle texture of the butter lettuce added to the diversity and enjoyability of this meal.

We gave the T-Bone Asado 4.5 globes because it was generally delicious and tender. After making Nigerien kabobs with stew meat (the thought of which still makes our jaws cramp up) we went to the local butcher shop and got some really nice high class organic steaks and the results were well worth the extra money and effort. Using a really nice cut of beef made the most of our really simple preparation. Without any excessive seasoning, the natural flavor of the product really came through.

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