Argentina: Recipes and Cuisine

Argentinian cuisine is hearty fare, the roots of which can be traced to Spain, Italy, France and Germany, as well as the original inhabitants. Argentinians are famous for their meat consumption, especially beef grilled or roasted and served with piquant chimichurri sauce. Milanesas (veal cutlets), empanadas and pasta show European influence, while potatoes, corn, pumpkin and locro soup are popular traditional foods. Alfajores, cookies filled with dulce de leche, are favorites, as is a bracing cup of hot yerba maté.

Typical Argentinean Dishes

Appetizers

Empanadas (Stuffed pastries)
Picada (Hors d'oeuvres platter)
Pororó (Argentinean popcorn)

Soups and Stews

Carbonada Criolla (Veal and vegetable stew)
Locro (Corn and meat stew)
Puchero (Meat and vegetable stew)

Noodles and Pasta

Gnoquis de Semola a la Romana (Baked semolina dumplings)

Poultry

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with rice)
Pollo Rio Negro (Marinated chicken)

Meats

Carne con Cuero (Beef roast in its hide)
Charqui (Beef jerky)
Empanadas (Stuffed pastries)
Matambre (Stuffed and rolled flank steak)
Milanesas (Breaded beef or veal cutlets)
Parillada Mixta (Mixed grill)

Fish and Seafood

Paella Valenciana (Rice with seafood and sausage)

Vegetables and Beans

Tortilla Campesina (Potato pudding)

Breads and Grains

Humitas (South American tamales)
Pan Casero (Wheat bread)
Pizza (Flatbread with toppings)

Sauces

Chimichurri (Parsley-garlic sauce for grilled meats)
Pesto (Basil-pinenut sauce)
Salsa Común (Tomato sauce)
Salsa Blanca (Basic white sauce)

Desserts

Alfajores (Caramel-filled cookies)
Arroz con Leche (Rice pudding)
Dulce de Leche (Caramel spread)
Flan de Leche (Caramel custard)
Mazamorra (Corn pudding)
Panqueques de Dulce de Leche (Caramel crepes)
Tortas Fritas (Deep-fried pastry dough)

Beverages

Sangría (Fruited wine)
Yerba Maté (Argentinian tea)

Recommended Cookbooks

Art of South American Cooking

author: Felipe Rojas-lombar
ASIN or ISBN-10: 0060164255
binding: Hardcover
list price: $35.00 USD
amazon price: $25.55 USD

As diverse as its history and as varied as the countries that make up the continent, South American cooking combines the agricultural greatness of the pre-Columbian native peoples--responsible for cultivating the potato, tomato, chile pepper, and corn--with the culinary traditions of later arrivals from Spain, Portugal, the west coast of Africa, Italy, and elsewhere to create a delicious cuisine of dimension and depth.Felipe Rojas-Lombardi presents a spectacular array of both innovative and traditional recipes. Read more »

Argentina Cooks!: Treasured Recipes from the Nine Regions of Argentina (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)

author: Shirley Lomax Brooks
ASIN or ISBN-10: 0781809975
binding: Hardcover
list price: $24.95 USD
amazon price: $16.47 USD

Argentine cuisine is one of the world's best-kept culinary secrets. The country's expansive landscape includes tropical jungles, vast grasslands with sheep and cattle, alpine lakes, and glacier-studded mountains. As a result, a great variety of foods are available-- game, lamb, an incredible assortment of fish and seafood, exotic fruits, and prime quality beef. This cookbook highlights recipes from Argentina's nine regions, including signature recipes from five-star chefs, the author, and other talented home chefs. Read more »

Food And Drink in Argentina: A Guide for Tourists And Residents

author: Dereck Foster
Richard Tripp
ASIN or ISBN-10: 0977217604
binding: Paperback
list price: $14.95 USD
amazon price: $11.21 USD

Travelers who feel at ease traveling in Spain or Mexico very quickly realize that the food terms useful there are not the same in Argentina. Waves of European immigration has expanded the cuisine from its Incan, Guaraní and Spanish influences. And then there are those fabulous wines! This pocket-sized full-color guide gives the culinary history, food terms and recipes of the regions. In addition, you’ll discover the best restaurants in which to eat, great bars to explore, and the best vineyards to sample fabulous wine. Read more »

The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic Home Cooking from Patagonia to Rio de Janeiro, with 450 Recipes

author: Maria Baez Kijac
ASIN or ISBN-10: 1558322493
binding: Paperback
list price: $24.95 USD
amazon price: $24.95

This book has over 450 recipes from 10 countries for everything from tamales, ceviches, and empanadas that are popular across the continent to specialties that define individual cuisines.

Argentinean Recipes

Chimichurri

(Argentine parsley-garlic sauce for grilled meats)

This pungent herb sauce originated in Argentina. Chimichurri is the classic accompaniment to Argentine churassco, or grilled meats. You can also use chimichurri as a marinade. Read more »

Chipás

(Argentinina cheese buns; see Pão de Queijo variations)

Dulce de Leche

(Latin American caramel spread)

Dulce de leche, is a sweet caramel spread popular throughout Latin America and used as a spread for bread, pastries, cakes, crepes and cookies like Argentinian alfajores cookies. It is known as cajeta in Mexico, manjar blanco in Peru, Chile and Bolivia, and arequipe in Colombia. Read more »

Empanadas

(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Empanadas are meat pies popular throughout the Latin world. They probably originated in Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain. Spanish settlers introduced empanadas to the New World, and they are a special favorite in Chile and Argentina. The variety of fillings for empanadas is endless and includes stewlike mixtures chicken, beef, ham and cheese, fish and seafood. Other fillings include spinach, peas, potatoes, pumpkin and beans. Read more »

Flan de Leche

(Latin caramel custard)

Flan, or crème caramel, is one of the most common dessert dishes in the Latin world. Coming originally from the border area of France and Spain, this simple yet elegant dessert has spread in popularity as far as the Philippines and Japan. Read more »

Gnoquis de Semola a la Romana

(Argentinian baked semolina dumplings; see Gnocchi alla Romana recipe)