Edible South Florida Winter 2011 : Page 13

edible artisan " You never know where love leads you. By Gretchen Schmidt K?<8IKF=8J8;F N hen Gabriel García first visited his fiancee’s family in Argentina three years ago, he was invited to the family beach house in Mar del Plata for a New Year’s Eve asado – a traditional barbecue where family and friends gather for grilled meats, Malbec and convivial conversation. He returned a changed man, committed to learning the art of the South American hardwood grilling. García – Gabe to friends and family – had just launched his website, gauchogarcia.com, when we called him to talk about his passion for Argentinian grilling. Immediately, he offered to host an afternoon asado where we could see his grill in action, taste his creations and savor the camaraderie, an integral part of the experience that so moved him that evening in 2007. “Everyone shared stories and wine and talked about what they were thankful for. They applauded the asador , the grillmaster, whose job is watching over the fire and tending the grill,” he says. It was that cultural social and culinary experience he aims to recreate in his Buena Vista backyard. Not that this affable young corporate attorney, who recently moved to Miami from San Francisco, hasn’t spent considerable time and effort designing his own parrilla , or grill, perfecting the techniques of hardwood grilling, tracking down tools and finding grass-fed beef and other specialty foods that make up an authentic Argentinean barbecue. For reference, he started with Francis Mallman’s Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way , describing it as not just a cookbook, but a “culinary journey through the most bucolic parts of Argentina and 14 | winter 2011 | edible SouthFlorida.com its grilling culture.” García then found a Florida shop to build his sophisticated backyard grill to his specifications and bought his firepit and tools at Target and Home Depot. He discovered a source for authentic meat in Pablo Liberato of Gaucho Ranch, an importer of grass-fed beef from the Rio de Plata. This grass-fed beef is critical to success, García says. “Factory-farmed corn-fed beef has a lot of fat and doesn’t have as much flavor, while grass-fed beef has multiple layers of flavor – it’s more savory, not grainy or salty. In Argentina, little seasoning is used for meat, just a little salt and pepper, and chimichurri sauce.” But he acknowledges that using imported beef carries a large carbon footprint, and he is looking for a local source of grass-fed beef. JCFN=FF;=I@<E;CP Argentinian hardwood grilling isn’t for everyone, García notes. “You need outdoor space. Really, it’s best for special occasions and larger groups because it’s so labor-intensive. At the same time, this type of grilling really fits into the Slow Food movement.” A typical Argentinian menu might include picadas : appetizers like olives, cold cuts, empanadas, marinated tomatoes, roasted red peppers and choripan (bread and sausages); a fresh salad of lettuce and onions; and the grilled meats: chicken, fish, beef cuts like tri-tip and vacio (flatiron), all served buffet-style. Drinks include Fernet branca, limoncello, red wine and champagne. Dessert is fruit; homemade alfajores , sweets filled with dulce de leche, and panettone are on the holiday menu. García keeps his asado authentic. He serves guests Provoleta, pictured above, a typical Argentinian provolone cheese that’s seasoned and grilled on a flat skillet till it melts slightly. The cheese, cut into pieces and served with pieces of bread, tastes like pockets of melty pizza. He uses his grill for a luscious dessert, cooking a ripe banana over the coals, peeling it and topping it with ice cream and cinnamon. At his side, fiancée Natalia Battaglia is an indispensable partner, greeting guests and providing necessary details like a soundtrack playing Manu Chao and Federico Aubele. After their March wedding, they plan to honeymoon in Argentina. “I wanted to prove to myself and others that I can execute the gaucho grilling techniques found on the pampas of South America right here in my own backyard, half a world away,” he says. The delighted smiles on his guests’ faces confirm his success. &#1e; G?FKFJ9P8C=I<;F8z<Q

GO GRILLING WITH THE GAUCHO.

You never know where love leads you. By Gretchen Schmidt THE ART OF ASADO When Gabriel Garcia first visited his fiancee's family in Argentina three years ago, he was invited to the family beach house in Mar del Plata for a New Year's Eve asado – a traditional barbecue where family and friends gather for grilled meats, Malbec and convivial conversation. He returned a changed man, committed to learning the art of the South American hardwood grilling. Garcia – Gabe to friends and family – had just launched his website, gauchogarcia.com, when we called him to talk about his passion for Argentinian grilling. Immediately, he offered to host an afternoon asado where we could see his grill in action, taste his creations and savor the camaraderie, an integral part of the experience that so moved him that evening in 2007. "Everyone shared stories and wine and talked about what they were thankful for. They applauded the asador, the grillmaster, whose job is watching over the fire and tending the grill," he says. It was that cultural social and culinary experience he aims to recreate in his Buena Vista backyard. Not that this affable young corporate attorney, who recently moved to Miami from San Francisco, hasn't spent considerable time and effort designing his own parrilla, or grill, perfecting the techniques of hardwood grilling, tracking down tools and finding grass-fed beef and other specialty foods that make up an authentic Argentinean barbecue. For reference, he started with Francis Mallman's Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way, describing it as not just a cookbook, but a "culinary journey through the most bucolic parts of Argentina and its grilling culture." Garcia then found a Florida shop to build his sophisticated backyard grill to his specifications and bought his firepit and tools at Target and Home Depot. He discovered a source for authentic meat in Pablo Liberato of Gaucho Ranch, an importer of grass-fed beef from the Rio de Plata. This grass-fed beef is critical to success, Garcia says. "Factory-farmed corn-fed beef has a lot of fat and doesn't have as much flavor, while grass-fed beef has multiple layers of flavor – it's more savory, not grainy or salty. In Argentina, little seasoning is used for meat, just a little salt and pepper, and chimichurri sauce." But he acknowledges that using imported beef carries a large carbon footprint, and he is looking for a local source of grass-fed beef. SLOW FOOD FRIENDLY Argentinian hardwood grilling isn't for everyone, Garcia notes. "You need outdoor space. Really, it's best for special occasions and larger groups because it's so labor-intensive. At the same time, this type of grilling really fits into the Slow Food movement." A typical Argentinian menu might include picadas: appetizers like olives, cold cuts, empanadas, marinated tomatoes, roasted red peppers and choripan (bread and sausages); a fresh salad of lettuce and onions; and the grilled meats: chicken, fish, beef cuts like tri-tip and vacio (flatiron), all served buffet-style. Drinks include Fernet branca, limoncello, red wine and champagne. Dessert is fruit; homemade alfajores, sweets filled with dulce de leche, and panettone are on the holiday menu. Garcia keeps his asado authentic. He serves guests Provoleta, pictured above, a typical Argentinian provolone cheese that's seasoned and grilled on a flat skillet till it melts slightly. The cheese, cut into pieces and served with pieces of bread, tastes like pockets of melty pizza. He uses his grill for a luscious dessert, cooking a ripe banana over the coals, peeling it and topping it with ice cream and cinnamon. At his side, fiancée Natalia Battaglia is an indispensable partner, greeting guests and providing necessary details like a soundtrack playing Manu Chao and Federico Aubele. After their March wedding, they plan to honeymoon in Argentina. "I wanted to prove to myself and others that I can execute the gaucho grilling techniques found on the pampas of South America right here in my own backyard, half a world away," he says. The delighted smiles on his guests' faces confirm his success. STEPS TO BACKYARD HARDWOOD GRILLING First, Gabe starts a fire by stacking dry pieces of hardwood - ideally, 12-inch lengths of Australian pine or oak - into a fire pit O. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes before the wood forms white chunks of charcoal. When there are enough to cover the bottom of the grill, Gabe carefully shovels the hot coals 2 onto the floor of the grill to make a single layer. The adjustable-height grill is then lowered to await the meats. This ability to regulate cooking temperatures by raising and lowering the meats over the fire is one of the most useful aspects of his grill. Another inspired feature is the V-grooved grilling surface 3, which allows juices to run into a drip pan that spans the length of the grill, preventing flames and collecting tasty drippings for basting. Here, chicken and steak are nearly ready. Other typical dishes at an asado include morcilla , or blood sausage, and chorizo θ. These are from Gaucho Ranch. Chimichurri 6, a traditional accompaniment, includes garlic, salt, parsley, Oregano, red pepper, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Provoleta (opposite page, top), a type of provolone cheese, is seasoned with Oregano and paprika before going onto a flat cast-iron griddle that melts the cheese. One of Garcia's guests, left, is Pablo Liberato of Gaucho Ranch, who imports grass-fed beef from the Rio de Plata. This lean beef is wet-aged and shipped vacuum-packed. Visit gauchogarcia.com to learn more about Gabe's Argentinian grilling experiences. For information about Gaucho Ranch meats, visit gauchoranch.com.

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