The Lost Art of the Asado
Friday, July 4th, 2025
Laramie, Wyoming
Dear Reader,
Here’s hoping you and your family have a great Independence Day. Let’s hope America can turn this thing around make it another 250 years!
The fireworks don’t start until 10pm here in Laramie. Between now and then, I may drop in at the ‘Freedom has a Birthday’ party over in Washington Park. And of course, I’ve assembled various meats and sausages for a barbecue later today, as is tradition.
In Argentina, the barbecue is called an asado. Our friends at the Bonner Private Wine Partnership put together a great guide on how to have your own traditional asado. It was popular last year so we’re bringing it to your attention again.
Important note for American wine drinkers: most US malbecs are cheap, young, and from the Mendoza region in Argentina. The best malbec comes from the remoter vineyards (like the Calchaqui valley) and from much higher up (around 8,000 feet). The wine boys have all the details here.
Happy Fourth of July!
Dan Denning
P.S. Hope you’re enjoying the work day England! More seriously, Bonner Private Wines can’t ship outside of the US at this point. So if you’re trying to order from overseas, no luck.
Also, though we share a similar name, Bonner Private Wines and Bonner Private Research are NOT the same company. Please direct all your shipment queries to them. BPR does receive a small commission on any sales made through the link above. But mostly we just like the wine ourselves and you can get $50 off your next shipment if you order today.
The Lost Art of the Asado
By Will Bonner
The fastest way to make enemies in Argentina is to compare the asado to a barbecue.
It’s the same, right? Not a chance - the locals will say - through gritted teeth… it is not the same.
An asado is an old Argentine cowboy tradition of spending all Sunday afternoon on a big, lingering meal.
It’s cooking in it’s purest form. Fire… grill… and meat.
Below you’ll find our step-by-step guide to an authentic Argentine asado – just in time for summer.
Step 1: Preparing Your Parilla
Imagine a little green oasis with a stream of pure snowmelt running through it…
You find the shade of a tree (the high altitudes in northwestern Argentina mean UV rays are 80% more intense than at sea level), build a fire, then lie back, your head propped on a saddle bag, as you snack on cheese and olives while the main course cooks. A cousin strums on a Spanish guitar. A sibling passes a bottle of wine around.
The centerpiece of the asado is the grill – the parilla. Build a fire. Toss in some pine cones as a fire starter (try not to use briquettes).
The heat should be enough to char an outer layer of your steak. Don’t worry too much about overcooking. With the right cut, the right prep, and the side accompaniments (sides and wine), you should be fine.
Just remember: low and slow.
Step 2: Picking Your Meats
Bife de lomo is THE cut in Argentina. That’s tenderloin. But tire de asado, or short ribs, are also popular.
Step 3: The Argentine Secret to Ultra-Tender Meat
The Argentine secret to ultra-tender meat is actually quite simple: rock salt.
Coat the meat with rock salt. (Don’t skimp!) Then get it on the grill (the cooking will take a little while).
Step 4: Picadas, Salad, and Wine
Here’s where you break out some sharp cheese (gouda), jamon or salami, and olives for snacking.
You’ll also want to open a bottle of malbec here. We recommend a bottle from a high altitude vineyard. The higher the better. These have more flavor and mouthfeel – think blackberry, dark cherry, and smoke.
RECOMMENDED: The 8,950 Ft. Malbec (limited production, unfiltered, wild yeast, low residual sugar) Click here for your discount...
At this point, someone in your party should be at work on a salad. Rather than heaps of grilled vegetables, the Argentines have figured out that the best compliment to a steak is a simple mix of fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion drizzled with olive oil and white wine vinegar. (Seriously, the combo with bife tastes delicious.)
(Optional: mashed potatoes and oven roasted carrots. Just don’t overdo it.)
Step 5: Throw on a Chorizo and Blood Sausage
The first course to an asado isn’t a light soup or salad (the salad we mentioned above is consumed with the meat); it’s sausage in a French baguette.
Quarter or half a sausage per person. Sausage should be the last thing on the grill and the first thing off. You’ll take the chorizo or morcilla and immediately stick it in that piece of baguette.
Don’t use ketchup or mustard. The juices from the sausage will be more than enough.
Step 6: A Round of Applause for the Asador
If you must season your meat after it’s off the grill, stick to more salt.
Eaten with the aforementioned salad, you’ll find you don’t need (and, in fact, don’t want) any condiments on your meat. (Just trust us here…)
Keep pouring the malbec (open another bottle if necessary – if you have multiple vintage years, start younger and go older).
When you finally sit down at the table, it is customary for the other diners to give the asador (that’s you) a round of applause.
Step 7: When in Doubt, Have These Malbecs on Hand
At the Bonner Private Wine Partnership, we’ve sourced thousands of bottles of wine from Argentina – often wines that have never before been imported to the US.
Today, we’re opening up our cellar to offer this rare collection of small-batch, limited production wines – at $50 off – just in time for the summer season.
You’ll find:
A “8,950 ft. Malbec” 2019 vintage from the 3rd highest vineyard in the world (Unfiltered, High Resveratrol Content, Low Sugar)
A 91pt Malbec from Argentina’s “Sacred Valley” (5,700 ft, Partnership exclusive)
A 91pt Gran Reserva from 90+ yr old vines (Only 2000 bottles made)
If you order today, you’ll not only get a huge discount, you’ll also get complimentary shipping.
With summer approaching fast, we do ask that you act today if you are interested.
These wines are small batch and will sell out fast.
Click here to claim your spot in the Partnership.
Cheers,
Will Bonner
Founder, Bonner Private Wine Parternship