Argentine Asado Short Ribs with Chimichurri and Grilled Provoleta

Make the chimichurri at least an hour ahead: stir together the parsley, garlic, fresh oregano, chili flakes, olive oil, vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt. Let it sit at room temperature so the flavors marry.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2kg crosscut beef short ribs (tira de asado), about 2cm thick
• Coarse sea salt
• 400g provoleta or provolone cheese, in a 3cm-thick round
• 1 tsp dried oregano plus 1 tsp chili flakes, for the cheese
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 120ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Crusty bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Make the chimichurri at least an hour ahead: stir together the parsley, garlic, fresh oregano, chili flakes, olive oil, vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt. Let it sit at room temperature so the flavors marry.
2. Build a wood or charcoal fire and let it burn down to glowing embers — Argentine asado is about steady, patient radiant heat, never roaring flame.
3. Season the short ribs generously with coarse salt only, 30 minutes before grilling.
4. Grill the ribs bone-side down first over medium embers for 12-15 minutes, letting the bones shield the meat while the fat slowly renders.
5. Flip once and grill the meat side 10-12 minutes more until a deep mahogany crust forms and the meat pulls easily from the bone edges.
6. Meanwhile set a small cast-iron skillet on the grill, add the provoleta round, and cook until the underside crisps and the center slumps, about 6-8 minutes. Scatter with oregano and chili flakes.
7. Rest the ribs 5 minutes under loose foil. Serve straight from the board with chimichurri spooned over, the molten provoleta for scooping with bread, and nothing else but napkins.
8. Asado is less a cooking method than Argentina's national ritual — Sunday afternoons orbit around the parrilla, where the asador earns quiet status by managing embers for hours. Tira de asado, the crosscut short rib, is the cut that starts every proper asado, and chimichurri is its inseparable companion, never a marinade but always a finishing sauce. The provoleta starter — cheese grilled until it's crisp outside and molten within — was invented by Italian immigrants who brought provolone to Buenos Aires and discovered everything tastes better off the parrilla.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 780 kcal
• Protein: 52g
• Fat: 58g
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 1100mg