Ingredients
Meat
- a large cut of beef with the hide still attached
- or a whole side, for a full gathering
- obtained through a butcher who can supply it
To season
- coarse salt, a great deal of it
- salmuera, brine of water, salt and garlic
- a brush of herbs, for basting
The fire
- hardwood, a large quantity
- a metal cross or spit, or a frame
- shovels, for moving embers
To serve
- chimichurri
- bread
- salad
- red wine
Directions
- Keep it well away from buildings and dry grass. Never leave the fire unattended.
- Use a meat thermometer if you can. Use hardwood, never softwood or treated timber. Let the fire burn down to embers. You will need to keep feeding it for hours.
- Salt the flesh side heavily with coarse salt. Large meat needs far more salt than seems right.
- Make a salmuera of hot water, salt and garlic. Baste the meat with it throughout the cooking. The meat cooks slowly for six to eight hours.
- Baste it with salmuera every half hour. Turn the frame occasionally if needed. Judging it is done by feel and by time.
- Check the thickest part with a thermometer. Take the frame down and lay the meat on boards.
- Cut the hide away and discard it. The hide itself is never eaten. Carve the meat into thick slices. Serve it straight onto plates or onto boards. Leftovers are eaten cold the next day.
Technique
- Asado con cuero belongs to the rural asado tradition of Uruguay and Argentina and is cooked for major occasions rather than routinely.
- The hide is used as a shield and a container rather than as food, and is discarded after cooking.
Substitutions
- A large cut cooked slowly beside a fire without the hide is the practical alternative for most people.
- Wrapping the meat in foil approximates the moisture retention, though not the flavour.
Variations
- Lamb and whole young cattle are both cooked this way.
- Asado a la estaca uses a stake driven into the ground beside the fire.
- The everyday parrilla asado uses a grill over embers and is far more common.
History
A gaucho technique of the Uruguayan countryside: the hide shields the meat and holds the juices through hours of slow cooking.
Frequently asked questions
What is Asado con cuero?
Asado con cuero is a main from Uruguay: beef roasted in its own hide beside an open fire, for large gatherings. A gaucho technique of the Uruguayan countryside: the hide shields the meat and holds the juices through hours of slow cooking.
How long does Asado con cuero take to make?
Asado con cuero takes 3 hours of preparation and 8 hours of cooking. The recipe makes feeds a very large gathering. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Asado con cuero?
Yes, within limits. A large cut cooked slowly beside a fire without the hide is the practical alternative for most people. Wrapping the meat in foil approximates the moisture retention, though not the flavour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Asado con cuero?
Keep it well away from buildings and dry grass. Never leave the fire unattended.
