Dream56872469844, Sep 2026
Culinary Edutainment at its Best.
THE ASADO EXPERIENCE
Culinary Edutainment at its Best.Sunday at noon is the traditional time for the asado in Argentina. That was one of the first things I heard during The Asado Experience by Belén Richards Donnelly. And, in reality, it explains quite well what we often misunderstand about the asado in Germany.As I already wrote in April in my article “We have misunderstood the asado,” in Europe it is usually presented with large crosses, enormous pieces of meat, and as much fire as possible. It may turn out spectacular, but it has little to do with the traditional meaning of the Argentine asado.The asado is not a show around the grill. It is, above all, a social and family ritual. Family and friends gather, the fire is lit, and, over several hours, different dishes arrive. Whoever is cooking does not seek to take center stage. The important thing is the community around the table.That was precisely what I wanted to know.The Asado Experience does not take place in a restaurant, but in a family setting in Belgrano R. There were ten of us sitting around a table. The three hours planned ended up turning into four. Not because the experience dragged on, but because there was so much to taste, learn, and talk about.The afternoon was led by two young women named Sophie, both barely 20 years old. When they told me their age, I had to ask again.20 years old.To me, both of them are natural-born grillers. Confident, very well prepared, and, at the same time, absolutely natural hosts. They didn't just limit themselves to explaining what was on the grill. They conveyed what the asado means in Argentina, how the fire is managed, why the dishes are served in that order, and what role time plays.Nothing seemed memorized or part of a tourist program repeated every day. They answered questions, guided the experience with great confidence, and left enough space for conversation at the table. Hospitality and the transmission of knowledge at a level from which many professionals with much more experience could learn. Truly impressive.We started with a choripán with chimichurri. Then came the blood sausage, the sweetbreads, and the pork matambrito. To finish, loin and different grilled vegetables. Everything accompanied by very good Argentine wines.The sequence of the dishes also worked perfectly. Everything did not arrive at the same time, but step by step. That is how an asado should be. You eat, you talk, you listen, you learn, and you wait together for the next thing that arrives from the grill.The composition of the group made the afternoon even more interesting. Next to me was Pablo Bianchi, a meat sommelier, who had just returned from a four-month professional stay with Pat Whelan in Ireland. And Pat was also among the guests. Because of that, the conversations went much further than what is usual in a tourist experience. They were open, personal, and technically very interesting.Belén is also a meat sommelier. She completed her training at the University of Buenos Aires, within the program promoted by Luis Barcos and developed at an academic level. That two such young members of her team can already transmit that knowledge with such confidence, enthusiasm, and naturalness speaks very well of them, but also of Belén's work and the way she has trained her team.My recommendation is very clear: whoever visits Buenos Aires and not only wants to eat meat, but really understand what the asado means in Argentina, should book The Asado Experience.Four hours of knowledge, hospitality, excellent conversations, and authentic Argentine gastronomic culture.Culinary Edutainment at its Best.
