Guanaco is a ruminant mammal native to Patagonia, and Santa Cruz province is home to the largest guanaco population in the world, making its meat a noble, intensely flavored, low-fat alternative.
Being a lean meat similar to tenderloin, it requires careful cooking to make the most of its flavor and texture on the grill.
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Argentine Grilled Guanaco Meat
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg of guanaco meat (loin or leg), in pieces (about 3.3 lb)
- to taste of coarse salt
- to taste of olive oil
- 1 recipe of chimichurri, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat, bring the guanaco meat to room temperature before cooking, and lightly coat it with olive oil.
- Salt it, salt with coarse salt shortly before placing the meat on the grill.
- Light the fire, prepare good embers, without direct flame.
- Cook, place the pieces on the grill over high heat, cooking quickly, like a pan-seared steak, to avoid a medium doneness.
- Flip, turn only once, when the meat releases easily from the grill.
- Check doneness, aim for a juicy doneness, avoiding medium cooks that toughen the meat.
- Rest, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Serve, serve hot, with chimichurri.
Tips for getting it right
- Guanaco meat doesn’t tolerate medium doneness: it should be cooked quickly and juicy, or very slowly like in a stew, but not to a medium point.
- Since it’s a fat-free meat, it’s important not to overcook it so it doesn’t turn dry or tough.
- Chimichurri is the classic accompaniment that best highlights the flavor of this lean meat.
- Cooking over high heat for a short time, similar to a steak, is the recommended technique for grilling guanaco.
Traditional variations
- Guanaco meat is also made into empanadas, very popular in Santa Cruz, with plenty of onion for a juicy filling.
- Other traditional preparations include breaded cutlets (milanesas) and guanaco chupe, of Andean origin.
How to serve
Guanaco asado is served hot, freshly sliced, as a main dish, alongside chimichurri.
It’s an exotic meat gaining ground in restaurants of southern Patagonia, valued for its intense flavor and low fat content.
Recommended sides
- Chimichurri
- Roasted potatoes
Did you know?
Santa Cruz is home to the largest guanaco population in the world, which turned its meat into a gastronomic product with regional identity.
Guanaco meat is lean and high in protein, often compared to tenderloin for its texture and lack of fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since it's a fat-free meat, medium doneness tends to toughen it; it's recommended to cook it quickly and juicy, or very slowly in stew-type preparations.
The classic accompaniment is chimichurri, which highlights the intense flavor of this lean meat.
Besides grilling, it's very popular in empanadas, breaded cutlets (milanesas), and guanaco chupe, of Andean tradition.
The province of Santa Cruz, in Argentine Patagonia, is home to the largest guanaco population in the world.
