Learn to Grill in Argentina!

Buenos Aires is a vibrant and colorful city full of soccer fanatics, great red wine and delicious grilled meats.

As a foodie, I felt compelled to take a cooking class. I had just taken a cooking class in Italy a few months prior and absolutely loved the experience.

In a country where grilled meat is practically a religion, I felt it necessary to learn from some of the best. After extensive research, we found a fantastic cooking class that would allow us to learn to grill in Argentina like a true Argentinian.

If you want to learn about Argentinian grilling while having a memorable night with amazing locals then Criolla Cooking is the place for you.

Naively, I didn’t realize how much is truly involved in grilling – especially in Argentina.

A traditional grill in Argentina is called a “parrilla” and consists of a wood burning fire on one side that drops its coals allowing for the grill master, or the “parrillero”, to shovel the coals under the slats of the grill.

The cooking Class

We couldn’t have been luckier to find this cooking school. Criolla, is a relatively new, innovative and beautiful cooking school that pays attention to every detail imaginable.

They offer a few different classes, but we wanted to learn to grill in Argentina, so we chose the “Asado Masterclass”.

¡Salud! Starting with a cocktail

Upon arrival, Mariann, taught us how to make the traditional cocktail – Fernet and Coca Cola. She taught us how to pour it, the history of it’s popularity in Argentina and how to order it at a bar or restaurant.

This was a great way to begin the class. It allowed us to have a moment to socialize with the other members of the class and the cooking staff before we started cooking.

what you’ll learn to do

We learned everything in such a fun and interactive way; from how to start the fire and scoop the coals for the parrilla, to how to use your hand to gage the temperature of the grill.

We also learned how to properly harness the flavors of the ingredients in a simple and delicious way.

*In traditional Argentinian fashion, they made sure we had endless red wine, white wine or a fernet and coke throughout the class – which was a great touch*

In Argentina, grilling is truly a love language. The act of learning to grill in Argentina is enough to make you fall in love with both the food and the culture too. I loved learning little techniques that are so simple yet effective – like using tied up fresh herbs to baste the meat as it’s grilled.

What you will learn to make

We learned to grill 6 different cuts of meat (inclduing sweetbreads), provoleta, chipan (a grilled cheese bread), grilled vegetables, salsa criolla, chimichurri and even more.

We even got to end the meal with a delicious pancake with dulce de leche and grilled peaches.

*The staff was incredibly considerate of dietary concerns too! I don’t eat pork, so they made sure to have a pork-free chorizo alternative. This was incredibly considerate and made me feel like I still got the full experience!*

I loved speaking with the staff and with our fellow classmates about Argentina, travel and food. The 3.5 hour class truly flew by and was the most unforgettable night of our 18 days in Buenos Aires.

An Unforgettable experience you can recreate at home

If you’re in Buenos Aires and you’re wanting to have a fun and interactive experience Criolla Cooking is for you!

Since leaving Argentina, I have already made some of the dishes that I learned in this class – and they turned out great! At the end of the class they make sure to send you home with a recipe packet with everything you learned during the class.

I truly can’t speak more highly about the experience and the staff we got to spend the night with. I felt like we had made new friends, shared great Argentinian wine and learned even more about what makes this city so beautiful. Learning to grill in Argentina is truly such a special experience at Criolla Cooking.

*Along with their various cooking classes, they also offer wine tastings, different seasonal events and cooking challenges that make for a perfect way to spend an evening in Buenos Aires*