Master the traditional South American art of live-fire cooking with wood, embers, and patience
An Asado is far more than grilling meat. It is a ritual, an all-day, fire-centered gathering built around patience, conversation, and respect for ingredients.
At its core, Asado is a traditional South American style of cooking over live fire, most closely associated with Argentina and Uruguay, with deep roots across Chile and Patagonia. These regions share a philosophy that prioritizes wood fire, simple seasoning, and slow cooking over embers rather than direct flame.
In Argentina and Uruguay, Asado is both a cooking method and a social institution. Sundays are often reserved for it. Friends and family gather for hours while the asador, the fire master, tends the fire and meat. Cooking begins early and unfolds gradually, with different cuts coming off the grill as they are ready.
Leans more primal, often using large cuts or whole animals cooked on iron crosses positioned near open flames. This style emphasizes the raw power of fire and minimal intervention.
Brazil plays an important role in South American fire cooking, though its tradition is distinct. Brazilian live-fire cooking is known as Churrasco, a style that originated in southern Brazil among the gauchos of Rio Grande do Sul. Like Asado, Churrasco is rooted in wood fire, communal cooking, and minimal seasoning. The difference lies in execution and rhythm.
Focuses on cooking meat flat over embers on grates, allowing for slow, even cooking over many hours. Deliberately slow and methodical.
Often uses large skewers or rotisseries, with meat cooked over open fire and rotated continuously. More dynamic and fast-paced.
Despite these differences, both traditions share the same foundation: wood fire is central, the meat is respected, and cooking is treated as a social experience rather than a task.
Asado is not defined by a single grill or cut of meat. It is defined by fire, time, and togetherness.
Traditional gaucho-style asado cooking over open fire
For a true Asado, wood is mandatory. Propane, pellets, and smokers do not belong here. This style of cooking relies on live embers and open flame.
The grill matters less than how you manage the fire.
Offer adjustable height and dedicated fireboxes. The ability to raise and lower the grate gives you precise control over heat intensity without moving embers.
Use V-shaped grates to manage fat and flare-ups. The angled design channels drippings away from the fire, preventing excessive smoke and flame.
Lean fully primal, cooking meat on grates or crosses over embers. The most traditional approach, requiring nothing but fire, iron, and patience.
Argentine parrilla with V-shaped grates for managing fat drippings
Always use seasoned hardwood. Avoid softwoods or resin-heavy woods.
Cut wood in mixed sizes so the fire can evolve naturally throughout the day. Larger logs establish burn, medium splits maintain heat, and smaller pieces generate quick embers.
Properly stacked seasoned hardwood
Mixed sizes of split hardwood logs
Slow, Steady, and Intentional
Build fire in two places.
A dedicated firebox where logs burn down into embers. This is where fuel is made. Keep feeding this fire throughout the day to maintain a steady supply of fresh coals.
Where food is cooked. At the beginning, build one or two small fires directly in the center to preheat grates and generate early embers. Once those burn down, spread them and shift focus to the brasero.
Use natural fire starters such as tumbleweed starters. Light both the grill fires and the brasero at the same time and allow them to catch without interference.
Stack logs in alternating perpendicular layers with space for airflow. Place the starter in the center and let the structure collapse naturally into embers.
Once cooking begins, continue feeding the brasero with logs so fresh embers are always available. As embers are consumed under the grill, transfer more from the brasero.
Stay ahead of demand. Never wait until heat is gone to rebuild.
An Asado fire is a continuous process.
The Tools That Make Fire Manageable
Small square shovel with long handle for moving embers from brasero to grill. Essential for heat management.
For spreading and evening out embers under the grill. Creates uniform heat zones.
A flat metal griddle placed over embers for cooking vegetables, chorizo, and creating a cooking surface for items that need indirect heat.
Extended reach keeps you away from intense heat. Essential for flipping and moving meat without burning yourself.
Nearby table or station for prep, resting meat, and assembling plates. Keep everything within reach.
Cutting boards and sharp knives for slicing meat as it comes off the grill. Fresh cuts maintain heat and texture.
The right tools remove friction and let the fire do the work. You don't need fancy equipment—just the basics, well-maintained and within reach.
An Asado is not a meal that begins and ends at a set time. It is a sequence that unfolds gradually, guided by the fire rather than a clock.
Unlike typical backyard grilling, where everything is cooked at once and served together, an Asado is intentionally paced. Different foods hit the fire at different moments, each chosen to match the maturity of the embers and the energy of the gathering. The structure creates a natural rhythm that keeps people engaged, fed, and connected throughout the day.
Early on, the fire is still settling and embers are fresh. This is the moment for smaller cuts, appetizers, vegetables, and traditional opening courses. These foods invite people to gather, snack, and ease into the experience while larger cuts begin their slow cook.
The final stage is reserved for the best cuts. These are cooked last so they can be sliced hot and eaten with full attention. By this point, the fire is calm, guests are settled, and the moment feels earned.
An Asado succeeds when no one is rushed, no one is waiting too long, and the fire always feels one step ahead. The structure makes that possible.
The Asado begins long before any meat touches the grill. The first step is building a proper wood fire and letting it burn down to a bed of embers. This is not a step you can rush.
Start with dry hardwood using the log cabin method. Build a substantial fire—larger than you think you need. The goal is volume, not intensity.
Let the fire burn for 60-90 minutes until the flames die down and you have a deep bed of glowing embers with minimal flame. This is when cooking begins.
Critical Timing: Start your fire 1-1.5 hours before you plan to put the first food on the grill. Guests should arrive when the fire is ready, not before.
Chorizo, morcilla, provoleta, sweetbreads, and other organ meats are cooked early and shared casually. These items cook quickly and serve as appetizers while the fire settles.
Chorizo on the grill
Grilled sweetbreads (mollejas)
Whole peppers and quartered onions are placed directly into coals, turned until fully charred, then chopped for garnishes, sauces, and toppings.
Short ribs, flank steak, skirt steak, tri-tip, and pork ribs cook slowly over embers. This is the heart of the Asado—methodical, patient cooking that transforms tough cuts into tender perfection.
Short ribs cooking over embers
Temperature: Low and steady ember heat
Time: 2-4 hours depending on cut
Picanha, ribeye, and strip loin are saved for last and sliced hot. These premium cuts cook quickly over hotter embers and are served as the finale.
Picanha
Gaucho-style tomahawk
By this point, guests have been eating for hours. The late-stage cuts are sliced thin and served simply, allowing everyone to appreciate the quality of the meat after the flavors of the earlier courses.
Unlike timed cooking, an Asado unfolds naturally. Meat is served as it finishes, guests eat in waves, and conversation fills the space between courses. This is not a meal—it's an experience.
Make It an Experience
Don't wait for everything to be done. Slice meat and serve it hot directly from the grill. Guests eat continuously throughout the day rather than waiting for a single large meal.
Encourage guests to stand or sit near the grill. The fire becomes the center of the gathering, creating natural conversation and connection. Avoid formal seating when possible.
Bread, chimichurri, and simple salads should be available throughout. The focus is on the meat—sides are there to complement, not compete.
Get All Asado Sauce RecipesThere's no single "dinner time." People graze, talk, return to the fire, and eat again. This rhythm removes pressure and creates a relaxed atmosphere.
Don't fight it. Let the fire dictate the pace, and your guests will naturally fall into the flow of the day.
Traditional toppings, marinades, and finishing touches that define Argentine Asado
No Asado is complete without its essential sauces and accompaniments. These recipes have been passed down through generations of asadores, each serving a specific purpose in the ritual of live-fire cooking.
The traditional basting liquid used throughout the cooking process. Made with salt water, vinegar, and aromatics, it keeps meat moist while building flavor.
The iconic Argentine herb sauce. Bright, garlicky, and herbaceous with parsley and cilantro. This is the finishing sauce that every Asado requires.
Fresh tomato and onion condiment with bell peppers and vinegar. Adds brightness and acidity to cut through rich, fatty meats.
Smoky, charred red peppers blended into a rich sauce. The fire-roasting adds depth that complements the wood-cooked meat perfectly.
Simple aromatic garlic-infused olive oil for drizzling over finished meats. Pure, clean flavor that lets the meat shine.
Spicy variation with red pepper flakes. Adds heat for those who want an extra kick on their grilled meats.
Three Books That Define Live-Fire Cooking
by Francis Mallmann
The definitive guide to live-fire cooking philosophy. Mallmann's approach to fire, intuition, and presence is essential reading for anyone serious about Asado.
by Derek Wolf
Modern techniques meet ancient methods. Wolf bridges traditional fire cooking with contemporary flavors and accessible instruction.
by Germán Lucarelli
Authentic Argentine recipes and techniques from a chef dedicated to preserving traditional fire-cooking methods across Patagonia.
The Modern Voice of Live-Fire Cooking
No modern discussion of live-fire cooking is complete without Francis Mallmann.
Mallmann is an Argentine chef, author, and fire-cooking icon best known for his book Seven Fires, which helped introduce the world to the beauty and unpredictability of cooking directly over wood fire. His philosophy rejects rigid temperature control and embraces intuition, restraint, and presence.
In Seven Fires, Mallmann outlines multiple methods of live-fire cooking, from ember cooking to cross roasting, each emphasizing patience and respect for heat. His influence is deeply felt across modern Asado culture and reinforces the idea that fire is not just a heat source. It is the main ingredient.
Making Fire Cooking Accessible to Everyone
Derek Wolf is a modern fire-cooking educator known for his approachable style and massive social media following. His book Flavor x Fire takes the fundamentals of live-fire cooking and makes them practical for home cooks.
Unlike traditional Asado texts that emphasize patience and philosophy, Wolf's work focuses on technique, creativity, and flavor development. He covers everything from charcoal selection to compound butters, showing how ancient fire methods can be adapted to modern tastes without losing their soul.
Flavor x Fire is ideal for cooks who want to understand fire fundamentals while maintaining creative freedom. It's a bridge between Francis Mallmann's philosophy and your backyard grill.
Preserving Traditional Patagonian Fire Cooking
Germán Lucarelli is an Argentine chef committed to documenting and preserving traditional fire-cooking methods from rural Patagonia. His book The Lost Fire Cookbook is a cultural archive as much as it is a recipe collection.
Lucarelli traveled across Argentina interviewing gauchos, ranchers, and rural cooks to capture techniques that were at risk of being forgotten. The recipes focus on whole-animal butchery, ember cooking, and regional variations of Asado that existed long before restaurants made it trendy.
Why it matters: This book connects you to the roots of Asado before it became commercialized. If you want to understand where these techniques come from and why they were developed, Lucarelli's work provides historical and cultural context that goes far beyond recipes.
The Lost Fire Cookbook is for those who see cooking as culture, not just craft. It reinforces that Asado is not just about technique—it's about preservation, respect, and connection to the land.
Together, these books reinforce fire cooking as both craft and culture.
Asado is not about mastery. It is about awareness.
When you cook over live fire, you are forced to be present. You watch the wood. You read the embers. You adjust slowly. This attentiveness carries over to the people around the fire.
A great Asado leaves no one rushed and no one excluded. The food arrives when it is ready. Conversation fills the space between bites. The fire becomes the center of the gathering, not the cook.
That is why Asado endures. It is not a technique. It is a way of bringing people together, one ember at a time.
Everything starts with wood and embers
Slow cooking builds flavor and community
Simple seasoning, proper cooking
The fire brings people together