This is the ultimate party meal to be shared with friends. In Argentina, you may be presented with all kinds of various cuts of meat. Everything from sausage to steak to even offal can be found on this enormous platter. This is a dish to be made for a minimum of 4 to 6 people. We recommend doing this on a wood burning or charcoal bar-b-que to get the most authentic flavor. Trust us when we say you will be swimming in the meat. This dish is often served with chimichurri on the side along with the next recipe, the Salsa Criolla. Don’t shortchange yourself and make them both. Your family and friends will thank you afterwards.
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 2 ½ hours
Ingredients:
Course salt
Olive oil
Black pepper
1 cup warm water
1 cup Pinot Noir
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
8 cloves garlic, divided
1 rack beef ribs, silver skein removed
6 chicken thighs
1 rib eye steak, 2 inches thick
4 chorizo sausages, in casing
12 ounces provolone cheese, 1 solid block
Chimichurri sauce, see recipe above
Salsa Criolla, recipe follows
2 loaves good crusty bread
Instructions:
The night before you grill you want to make a marinade for the ribs. In a glass bowl add the warm water and 1 teaspoon of course salt and stir until it dissolves. Follow that with the Pinot Noir, parsley, balsamic vinegar, paprika, rosemary, coriander and 3 cloves of grated garlic. Stir to combine then pour over the ribs and put them back in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove from fridge 1 hour before you start grilling. You want the meat to come close to room temperature before you start cooking them.
The morning of the grill, place your chicken thighs along with ½ teaspoon salt and 3 grated garlic cloves and ¼ cup of water into a zipper bag. Let rest in the fridge until 30 minutes before cook time.
Remove steak from the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking and rub with 1 teaspoon olive oil then liberally salt and pepper each side. Let the meat rest on the counter until it is time for you to cook it.
Remove the chorizo from the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking to let it come to room temperature. Do the same with the provolone and place it on a plate so it dries out a little.
Start your grill with quality wood or charcoal and once you have great looking embers, arrange the fuel so you have a hotter side and a cooler side to work with. This is key for successful grilling. If everything is cooked on full fire, you will never have tender and juicy cuts of meat. We are looking for a medium heat to cook all these meats to perfection.
Start by cooking the ribs, bone side down over medium heat. It will take about 1 ½ to 2 hours for the ribs to finish and that’s why we start with that cut. At about the 1 ½ mark, test for doneness and then flip them over and cook another 30 minutes on the cooler side of the grill or until the ribs are caramelized and juicy looking.
At the 1-hour mark, place the rib eye on the grill and let cook on its own. After about 30 minutes, flip it once and cook until it is your desired doneness.
At the 1 ½ hour mark, place both the chicken and chorizo on the grill. Flip all of them after about 25 minutes and finish cooking until done and the chicken reads 169 on an instant read thermometer.
Once you flip the ribs then it is time to cook the cheese. In a small cast iron skillet, place the entire block of provolone and cook until slightly browned on the bottom. Flip it over in the pan and then cook until the desired level of meltiness. Spread a few tablespoons of chimichurri over the cheese then set it on the table for the ultimate spread.
Once all the meats are cooked, let them rest covered for 15 to 20 minutes then carve into slices and arrange on a platter with the chimichurri, salsa criolla and slices of bread on the side. Invite the entire gang over and enjoy your meat-tastic love fest.