A quick note for the carnivores in the crowd

Buenos Aires: a meat-lovers haven. Apparently, this is the case for most of Argentina; they have a long and storied history as a meat-loving people. I'll spare you all but the most important details, but apparently they have a lot of cows here, all of which are fed on the special grass that grows in Argentina, not in huge meat-factory grain houses. This, as I can attest to from personal experience, produces some world-class beef.

Seemingly every other restaurant in BA was a steakhouse - all of which were jockeying for a slice of the lunch- and dinner-time action, making competition high and driving costs down. Add in a sprinkle of economic malaise due to an unstable government and uneasy economic system, a US dollar at nearly 4 to 1 to the Argentinian peso, and a dash of the aforementioned surplus of well-fed bovines ready for the picking, and you have the perfect storm of meaty goodness.

The traditional method for cooking beef here is a large metal grate hung low over a bed of hot hardwood coals (see the picture above). Little (if anything beyond simply salt) is used to flavor the meat, and it is always cooked medium rare. In my experience so far, they don't even ask you how you'd like it cooked - they assume (rightly so, in my opinion) that if you wanted it cooked any further, you might as well just order some chicken. I ceded my control over the preparation and was pleasantly surprised every time. Cook enough beef and you get good at it, as our well-learned gauchos showed.

My first steak, recommended by the hostel we were staying in, came from Desnivel, a well-known but clinging-to-our-roots-and-low-prices type of steakhouse not too far from our place. I ordered the tenderloin, and was pleasantly surprised to be issued a 16-ounce portion of perfectly cooked beef sitting pleasantly beside the 24-ounce flank steak ordered by Whitney. Just beef on a plate, hot off the grill. No frills, no garnishes or sides, just muscle on a dish. Dig in. Total cost for the 1-pound tenderloin, a whopping US$8.11. I wanted to order three more to put in my pockets for snacking later that evening.

Steak #2 came near the end of our stay in BA, from a restaurant that was recommended by one of our guide books with the reservation that one should order the half-portion unless intent on getting more beef than one could (or shoud) eat. I'll step up to the plate for that kind of challenge any day. I ordered the full portion of flank steak, and wasn't at all fazed by the fact that the waiter, after hearing my order, wanted to clarify that I indeed wanted the full portion.

What appeared before me was somewhere between 2 and 3 pounds of meat. I think I literally stopped mid-sentence when my eyes finally settled on the pile of beef before me, two large strips of steak about 15" long, 4" wide and 2" thick. Again, no frills or sides, just meat on a metal dish. I was giddy. I finished off the plate, sweating from the heat of the Buenos Aires night air coupled with the sheer energy expended in having to cut up pounds of meat and transferring it to my face. I think I spoke 10 words the entire meal, mostly consisting of "oh my" and "ughhh" and "I love this place." Total cost for the evening's carnage, US$7.03.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about both experiences was the the meat is rough-hewn. They transport whole sides of beef to these places, and hack it into huge hunks to be placed on the grill, then dropped on your plate. This means you have to work a bit to get the goods, cutting around bits of sinew or excess fat to get your reward - but in my opinion, well worth it and by all accounts much tastier than a clean-cut, manicured steak. They don't make excuses for their meat, and I like to think we're a bit better off for being a closer to the cow - it hasn't passed through any more hands than is absolutely necessary to get it from the field to the fire. What's also nice about this connection between the farmers and the plate it that one, if so inclined, could order an entire section of cow. On more than one menu you will find "lomo entera," or "entire tenderloin" for around US$45, cooked and on a plate in front of you. Thats around 12-14 pounds of meat. I know more than a few people that might be up for that challenge someday. We can discuss later.

So the great meat tour of '09 will keep on rolling, and while this might be the only official post on the topic, I'll be more than happy to discuss any and all of these life-changing experiences with anyone who's interested. Be it from the steakhouse or the supermercado (where, btw, I saw 20-ounce t-bones on sale for US$2.25 a pound), you can rest assured I am getting my fill. Cheers!