Sink your teeth into it
It may sound bold to state that any visit to Argentina would be incomplete without sampling one of the country's mouthwatering steaks and superb local wines, but most Argentines would fiercely agree.
Argentina has the second-highest per-capita meat consumption in the world (after neighbouring Uruguay) and a total revenue on beef of US$5 billion, and it is the fifth-largest wine producer on the planet. Cattle and grape vines were first introduced into Argentina in the 1500s by the Spanish Conquistadors. Grape cultivation began in northern Argentina before spreading to other regions, while cattle thrived on the rich grasses of the southern Pampas region. Today, most beef remains hormone free and grass fed, and succulent enough to make even a vegetarian tremble.
The steak houses, known as parillas, in Buenos Aires and Mendoza, the country's sophisticated and arty culinary capital, remain some of the best in the world.
Even the most basic restaurants offer top quality steak and wine, and even the finest varieties are inexpensive.
A typical parilla meal begins with empanadas, small pastry pockets containing meat or vegetables, and side salads accompany the grills. Every good parilla will have an open fire of coals holding carcasses of goat, lamb and pork meat that rotate.
Chefs, often in gaucho (cowboy) outfits, slice off portions as they are ordered.
Also on the menu at every parilla are chicken, morcilla (blood sausage/black pudding), chorizo (sausage), mollejas (sweetbreads), rinones (kidneys), and chinchulines (intestines).
To sample small pieces of each of these, plus a cut of steak, opt for the parilla completa, which is served on a small table-top grill.
A bottle of tempranillo, or malbec, makes ideal accompaniment to meat-heavy meals.
Where to eat
Buenos
Mendoza
Where to stay
Buenos
Mendoza
