Cooking South America

Down here a strip steak you would find in the US is called a "Bife Americano". The "country" referred to is the Argentine pampa. This recipe is a good way to add alittle flavor and interest. One ingredient whic is not so common in the States is fennel. In Argentina it is as common and almost as cheap as celery. Start marinating the beef the day before you plan to cook it, in the refrigerator. 4 o 5 strip steaks, about 8 oz each For the marinade: 1/2 bottle dry red wine, the cheap stuff Peel of one orange, sliced in thin strips 4 cloves of garlic, sliced Fresh or dry tarragon Green pepper corns, crushed Country fries: 1 large sweet onion, cut in strips 2 fennel bulbs, cut in strips 12 - 16 ounces sausage - Argentine chorizo parrillero or sweet Italian sausage, sliced 2-1/2 pounds potatoes for frying oil for frying salt and pepper 1.) Place the steaks in a glass or ceramic dish in one layer. Scatter the garlic, tarragon, ora...

This may seem like one of those DUH! recipes, like how to boil water or scramble an egg. But while boiling water is simple, scrambling the perfect egg has its own techniques. For a good bife chorizo (sirloin) or bife de lomo (tenderloin or filet), you need them cut about 2 inches thick, the best quality you can find. Build a good charcoal fire. In Argentina you will likely find the natural charcoal, not the briquettes, but either one will do. Do NOT use lighter fluid. Either get the little paraffin-impregnated sawdust tablets, or use one of the chimney starters. You don't want any petroleum distillates on your steak. Be sure the steaks are at room temperature before you put them on the grill. The center will cook more quickly that way. Some people like to brush them with a little olive oil, but do NOT put any salt or pepper on them. Salt will toughen and dry them and pepper will just burn off. No need to mention any other seasonings, which I am sure you were not planning on using. ...

Continuing with appetizer recipes, here is a favorite for a bean dip or spread, very low fat and delicious. Argentines are not big fans of beans, reserving them usually for cold winter days, but this seems to be a hit at parties. I use it as a dip with carrot sticks and cucmbers, as a spread on melba toast, or as part of a sandwich: thic-sliced whole grain bread, the spread, roast beef, ham or chicken, and cucmber slices. Bean and Cilantro Spread 1-1/2 Cups cooked pinto or kidney beans, drained. Canned are OK if you rinse and drain them well 2 - 3 cloves of garlic, put through a press or minced 3/4 tsp ground cumin 1/2 to 1 tsp Tabasco, Aji Chileno, or other red pepper sauce 2 Tbsp. olive oil, or more for texture 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar Plenty of chopped cilantro: 2 tbsp minimum Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to the texture you like. Serve on melba toast, pita bread or similar, garnish with: boiled egg slices, anchovies, avocado, cucumber, roas...

This is a specialty of my Argentine Mother-in-law, who is an outstanding traditional cook. She got a lot of her dishes from immigrant Italian neighbors in Buenos Aires when she was first married. This one is a little work, but worth it. I could eat my weight in this stuff. Serve it cold or room temperature. 4 large eggplants salt olive oil for frying flour for dredging Tomato sauce freshly grated Parmesan or Reggianita cheese Peel and slice the eggplants lengthwise, not too thick. Place the slices in layers in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little salt. Leave them to drain an hour or two. Drain off as much liquid as possible, but do not rinse the eggplants. Dredge them in flour and fry them until light brown in olive oil, adding more oil as it is consumed. Fry in batches and drain on paper towels as they are done. Take a square or rectangular dish, preferably glass or Corning ware, and put a little bit of the tomato sauce in the bottom, just enough to cover the bottom. Place ...

I like to cook because I love to eat. In Argentina, there are not many pre-fab ingredients like canned soup, process cheese, frozen this and that. You tend to use more primary ingredients, like fresh meat, vegetables, and herbs. The following recipe for tomato sauce is a basis for many other things which we will get into later. It is a little different every time I make it, depending on what I have on hand; I really try to avoid running out for one ingredient for some recipe. You can make it in a few minutes, and it does very well with canned tomatoes. Saying that this is the best tomato sauce recipe is like saying one book is the best book. This one is just quick and easy and tasty. BASIC TOMATO SAUCE A little olive oil 3 - 4 flat anchovies packed in oil, chopped, if you have them 4 cloves of garlic (minimum), minced 3 - 4 cans chopped tomates in their juice good shot of dry red wine 1 tsp. herbs - oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, etc. 1/2 tsp sugar red pepper flakes to tast...