A quintessential Argentine asado classic featuring savory flap meat slow-cooked over live coals until the membrane turns golden and crisp, served alongside a zesty chimichurri.
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg beef flap meat (vacío)
- 2 tbsp coarse gray sea salt
- 120 ml Argentine chimichurri sauce
Method
- Take the beef flap meat (vacío) out of the refrigerator a solid hour before cooking so it comes up to room temperature, preventing any thermal shock when it hits the grill.
- Light your grill to establish an even bed of medium, flameless coals covered with a fine layer of gray ash. Set the cooking grate about six inches above the coals, at a height where you can hold your palm over the heat for eight to ten seconds without burning yourself.
- Scrape and wipe the hot grate with a lightly oiled cloth. Generously season both sides of the beef flap meat (vacío) with coarse gray sea salt, pressing gently with your hands so the crystals adhere.
- Place the meat on the grate with the membrane- and fat-covered side facing the coals. Let it cook undisturbed without moving it for forty to fifty minutes, maintaining a gentle, steady bed of coals, until the membrane browns and turns thoroughly crisp, and the top surface of the meat feels warm to the touch.
- Gently flip the beef using tongs, taking care not to pierce it to keep all the juices inside. Continue grilling the second side for twenty to twenty-five minutes, until a rich golden crust forms and the meat yields gently to finger pressure for a juicy, medium-rare center.
- Transfer the meat to a wooden cutting board and let it rest uncovered for about ten minutes to allow the muscle fibers to relax and the juices to redistribute evenly.
- Carve the beef flap meat (vacío) with a smooth, decisive stroke on a slight bias and strictly across the grain into thick slices about half an inch wide. Arrange them on a warmed platter and serve immediately, spooned with Argentine chimichurri sauce or with the sauce served in a bowl on the side.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 630.5 kcal
- Protein
- 71.64 g
- Carbohydrate
- 1.2 g
- Fat
- 37.24 g
- Fibre
- 0.15 g
- Calcium
- 11.66 mg
- Iron
- 0.13 mg
- Magnesium
- 13.9 mg
