Firelight: the art of cooking by asado

Each new issue of The Journal offers sumptuous new recipes for you to try at home. Our goal is to provide you with novel ideas for blending and elevating the complementary worlds of flavours and fragrances. This time, we delve into the rich Latin American palette that brings to light one of our favourite traditions at Viña Los Vascos and Bodegas CARO: asado. 

Asado is a cooking method, an art form, native to the Southern Cone. While the technique varies regionally and personally, one element remains constant: warmth. A word of caution, though—after reading this, your cosy fireside dinners may never feel quite the same.

Los Vascos: a lamb for the asado

In the heart of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, the Viña Los Vascos team is preparing for a feast. Gabriel Serrano—gardener by day, chef by night—is the man in charge of the evening meal. Gabriel is renowned for his mastery of asado over nearly 30 years.

He keeps a watchful eye on the slow roast, prepared a la cruz—or ‘on the cross’. The lamb, raised free-range on the estate, is cooked whole, coated in a brine whose secret ingredients will remain a mystery. Gabriel feeds the fire, regularly adding dry eucalyptus leaves and branches whose smoke lends the roast a truly inimitable flavour. He must work together with the winds that buffet the property, occasionally asking for a hand as he readjusts the setup. From time to time, Gabriel bastes the lamb with brine to keep it moist and flavourful.

After about five hours of slow cooking, the meat begins to sweat and glisten. In the final thirty minutes, the lamb is turned over, allowed to rest, and then served hot alongside a la parilla vegetables.

In the meantime, the reception staff prepare a fresh vegetable salad, harvested straight from the Casona’s kitchen garden. Once the meat is perfectly tender, guests are invited to take their seats around the Quebrada. This long communal table is set with acacia plates and sharp knives — los parroninos — made by local cutler, Don Gonzalo Castro. 

The meal is served buffet-style, accompanied by a glass of wine straight from the vineyard. (We would recommend a CROMAS Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon). The magic lies in the seamless blend of bold flavours and animated conversations—a celebration of taste and tradition.

For those eager to experience this feast for themselves, a bit of sleuthing is in order. The exact location of the Quebrada remains a closely guarded secret.

Strike while the iron’s hot

Likewise in Argentina, the asado is synonymous with friendship. However, the Argentine style differs from its Chilean counterpart.

At Bodegas CARO, grilling a la parilla involves cooking over wood rather than the coal preferred in Chile. A perfectly prepared ojo de bife (sirloin) is all you need to experience the essence of Argentine grilling.

Chef Francis Mallmann’s restaurant 1884 — which neighbours our Mendoza cellars — is tasked with the most illustrious occasions. Here, the meat is left to slowly marinate by the restaurant’s gardens. The vegetables are cooked in a contraption called an infiernillo, and empanadas are baked in an earthen oven. The meal is often crowned with a dessert of dulce de leche flan.

The meal is enjoyed in the Nef, at an imperial-style banquet table draped in a white tablecloth. The plates are steaming hot when they exit Mallman’s kitchen, and the only thing left to do is to raise a toast to Argentine cuisine. ¡Salud!

Pebre recipe

Without the equipment needed to roast a whole lamb, it’s difficult to reproduce an authentic asado. But don’t worry — Pebre, a typical Chilean condiment, offers a taste of the Southern Cone in just a few simple steps. 

You’ll need:

• 1/4 onion (diced)
• 1 bunch of coriander finely chopped
• 1-2 tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon of oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco (optional)
• Salt

1. Cover the diced onion with boiling water and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. 
2. Cut the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and dice. 
3. Combine all ingredients, seasoning with salt to taste.
4. Allow the mixture to rest for 1 hour before serving.