Churrasco is a Brazilian barbecue method where juicy pieces, slices, steaks, and chops of beef, veal, lamb, pork, and chicken are placed on big skewers and grilled over wood fire. It started in the early 1800s when the Gauchos (European immigrants that settled in the Rio Grade do Sul area) would get together and start a fire, adding large portions of meat on skewers and slowly grilling the meat.

In the restaurants, known as churrascarias, the skewers are paraded across the restaurant in a flashy manner, and the waiters circulate among the tables in order to show off the succulent meat to hungry diners. After the customers have chosen their preferred type of meat, it is sliced off the skewers to the dining plates. 

Considered an epitome of Argentinean gastronomy and culture, asado (lit. roast; roasted) is much more than merely a meal. In Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and in a number of other South American countries, it is both a culinary and social event attended by friends and family to share the joy of outdoor cooking.

Asado traditionally features a wide selection of grilled meats, mainly beef, which Argentina is most known for. The meat is cooked on a special brick-built grill called la parrilla, and the fire can either be made with charcoal (parrilla al carbón) or wood (parrilla a leña) which is more typical for the countryside and known as asado criollo, a term that indicates a more rustic, traditional style of grilling. 

Parrilla is an Argentine word with two meanings – it can be used to describe a typical Argentine steakhouse restaurant, or it can denote a metal grill used for preparing the meat and fish. The metal grill is a part of traditional asado barbecues.

It comes in many shapes and sizes, but it typically consists of a main grill with a firebox (called brasero) on the side. Firewood or charcoal are loaded into the firebox, and once the embers drop to the bottom, the coals are placed under the main grill. 

A true Argentinian asado is only complete with chorizo, a fresh pork (or beef or pork and beef) sausage seasoned with paprika, pepper, oregano, and garlic. It is briefly soaked in water and then grilled until the outside is charred, but the insides remain juicy.

Still, chorizo sausage is nearly impossible to overcook thanks to its high-fat percentage. Chorizo is typically served as an appetizer and as a sandwich, inside a bread roll, smothered in chimichurri sauce.

Chinchulines is a small intestine of beef cattle that is either cut in pieces, braided (trenzado), or filled with stuffing, usually a garlic and parsley one, then grilled. For good results, the important thing is to prep the intestine, meaning clean it well and boil it in water or milk to tenderize it, or it might end up gummy and bad tasting when grilled.

Chinchulines are grilled over high heat, which results in a burnt, crunchy outside that will burst upon biting into it. Although typically made with beef’s small intestine, it can also be made with lamb. Chinchulines are an appetizer served with just salt and lemon. 

Pachamanca is an ancient Peruvian dish made by cooking marinated pieces of meat (usually lamb), herbs, chilis, beans, and a variety of Peruvian potatoes in a hole in the ground (huatia). The ingredients are placed on hot stones and covered with leaves in order to create a natural pot in the ground.

The name of the dish means earth pot, referring to the preparation process. The dish is traditionally cooked for about three hours, and nowadays it can be found in numerous rustic restaurants throughout Peru.

Asador criollo is an Argentinian style of barbecuing a whole animal or very large chunks of meat, also known as al asador type of grilling. The animal or the meat is stretched over an iron cross as if crucified, and the cross is positioned vertically over an open fire.

This style of barbecuing is typically done in rural areas, and in different regions, different animals are preferred: in Patagonia, it’s lamb; in Mendoza, it’s goats, while pigs are preferred in the Pampas.

Molleja, also known as sweetbread, refers to the thymus (corazón or heart) and pancreas (cuello or neck) of beef cattle, with the former being smoother, less fatty, and more flavorful compared to the latter. Molleja is typically prepared one of two ways.

It is either soaked overnight in water or milk, then boiled and grilled, or only grilled twice, first to precook and then to form a crispy outside. When perfectly prepared, the texture of molleja is crunchy on the outside and buttery on the inside.

It is served as a starter sprinkled with salt and lemon juice.

Salchicha parrillera is a thin, long, fresh, and coiled Argentinian sausage that is very similar to chorizo. They only differ in shape. For barbecuing, it’s usually shaped into a tight spiral and secured with long toothpicks that are pierced into the center of the sausage to keep it in place.

It is grilled over low to medium flame and often turned until crispy on the outside. The grilled sausage is served with bread and chimichurri sauce.