Don Julio ★ 4.9
Even Argentina's LA50B-#3 parrilla keeps the grill lit late. 22:30 reservations are standard; the Palermo room runs at full noise until midnight.
TryBife de chorizo and provoleta
History
Asado descends from the gaucho campfire of the 1800s Pampas, when cattle herders skewered whole animals on a metal cross over open coals. The urban parrilla restaurant arrived with the late 1800s European immigration boom; by the 1920s every Buenos Aires barrio had one. Today the parrilla is the country's defining national meal, eaten weekly across class lines, with Pablo Rivero's Don Julio in Palermo reaching #1 on Latin America's 50 Best in 2020 and again in 2024.
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 2 bife de chorizo steaks, 400g each, 4cm thick
- 1 kg short ribs (asado de tira), cut crosswise
- 4 chorizo sausages
- 2 morcillas (blood sausages)
- 200g sweetbreads (mollejas), trimmed
- Coarse sea salt
- Hardwood charcoal or quebracho wood
- For chimichurri: 1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 60ml red wine vinegar
- 120ml olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
- Build a fire with hardwood charcoal or quebracho wood. Let it burn down to glowing embers, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Spread embers under the grill.
- Make chimichurri: mix parsley, garlic, oregano, chili, vinegar, oil and salt. Let stand 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
- Start with the sausages: place chorizo and morcilla on the grill over medium embers. Cook 15-20 minutes turning occasionally until skin is crisp and charred.
- Add short ribs bone-side down. Cook slowly over moderate heat, 45 minutes per side, until deeply browned and tender.
- Salt the bife de chorizo steaks generously with coarse sea salt. Place over hotter coals, sear 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest 5 minutes.
- Sweetbreads last: blanch first in salted water 3 minutes, drain. Grill over moderate heat 8-10 minutes turning until golden.
- Slice steaks against the grain, plate everything family-style. Serve with chimichurri and crusty bread.
Tip from the editors. The fire takes longer than the meat. Build it 90 minutes before you want to eat. Never use lighter fluid; the taste persists.
Where to eat asado
Asado in Buenos Aires
La Cabrera ★ 4.4
Gaston Riveira's 2002 parrilla famous for the dozen side bowls (purees, salsas, salads) served with every steak. Two Cabrera locations; consistently full.
SignatureBife de chorizo with side bowls, Provoleta, Ojo de bife
La Carniceria ★ 4.6
Pedro Pena and German Sitz's intimate Palermo parrilla. Grass-fed beef from family land, no walk-ins; charred-crust steaks and smoky bone marrow.
SignatureCostilla de chorizo, Mollejas, Grilled provoleta
El Mirasol de La Recova ★ 4.2
Recova arcade branch of the 1967 El Mirasol parrilla group, on Posadas since 1992. Classic-cut parrilla service, walking distance from Recoleta hotels.
SignatureBife de lomo, Mollejas, Provoleta
Cabana Las Lilas ★ 4.0
Puerto Madero's flagship riverside parrilla since 1995. Estate-raised cattle, tourist-priced, terrace tables on the dock and a full Argentine cellar.
SignatureOjo de bife, Bife de chorizo, Estate-raised beef
Fogon Asado ★ 4.6
Counter-only Palermo asado tasting; a dozen guests watch eight courses come off the open hearth. #22 on World's Best Steak Restaurants 2026.
BookFour to six weeks ahead
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