Okay, so you wanna know about Argentinian side dishes, huh? Well, let me tell ya, those folks down in Argentina, they eat good! I ain’t been there myself, mind you, but my grandson, the one with the fancy computer, he showed me some pictures and told me all about it.
First off, they love their meat, like, a lot! Big ol’ slabs of it, cooked over a fire. They call it “asado,” and it’s like a big ol’ barbecue. But even with all that meat, you gotta have somethin’ on the side, right? Can’t just eat meat all day, even if it’s real tasty.
Now, one thing they got is this “salsa criolla.” Sounds fancy, but it ain’t. It’s just chopped up stuff – onions, peppers, tomatoes, and some vinegar and oil. My kinda food, simple and fresh. Kinda like what I make in the summer when the garden’s overflowing. You chop it all up, mix it together, and it’s good to go. It’s real zingy and goes good with that heavy meat, cuts right through the richness.
- Onions: They use the red ones mostly, for the color I guess.
- Peppers: Any kind, really, but the red and green ones look pretty.
- Tomatoes: Gotta have tomatoes, ripe and juicy.
- Vinegar and Oil: For that tang, you know?
Then there’s the potatoes. They do all sorts of things with potatoes, them Argentinians. They roast ‘em, fry ‘em, mash ‘em. You name it, they do it. My favorite? The roasted ones. Just toss ‘em with some salt and pepper and maybe some herbs, and throw ‘em in the oven. They get all crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just like how I make ‘em, but they probably got some fancy name for it. My grandson said somethin’ about “papas rústicas,” but that’s just a fancy way of sayin’ roasted potatoes, if you ask me.
And don’t forget the bread! Every good meal needs bread, and the Argentinians know it. They got this crusty bread, kinda like the stuff they sell at the bakery in town, but maybe a bit chewier. Perfect for soppin’ up all those meat juices and that salsa criolla. You don’t wanna waste a single drop of that goodness, you know? I always tell the kids, “waste not, want not!”
They also got salads, but not the fancy kind with all that weird lettuce. More like simple salads, with tomatoes and onions and maybe some cucumbers. Just good, fresh vegetables, the kind that taste like sunshine. Sometimes they put in some olives too. I ain’t a big fan of olives myself, but my husband, bless his soul, he loved ‘em. Used to eat ‘em right out of the jar.
Oh, and another thing my grandson told me about is “provoleta.” Now that sounds interestin’! It’s like grilled cheese, but with this special Argentinian cheese. They put it right on the grill, and it gets all melty and gooey. Sounds like a heart attack on a plate, but I bet it’s darn good! Maybe I’ll try makin’ somethin’ like that myself, with some of that cheese they sell at the fancy grocery store.
So, yeah, Argentinian side dishes. Mostly simple stuff, but good stuff. Fresh vegetables, potatoes, bread, and some zesty salsa. It’s all about balancing out that heavy meat, you see? You gotta have somethin’ to cut through the richness, somethin’ to brighten up the plate. And it’s all gotta be tasty, of course. Nobody wants to eat somethin’ that don’t taste good. Not me, not you, and certainly not those Argentinians with their big ol’ barbecues.
And from what I hear, they like to share their food, too. That’s the best part, ain’t it? Gatherin’ around the table with family and friends, sharin’ a meal and some laughs. That’s what it’s all about, whether you’re in Argentina or right here in my kitchen. Good food, good company, good times. That’s the recipe for a happy life, if you ask me.
Tags: Argentinian Food, Side Dishes, Asado, Salsa Criolla, Potatoes, South American Cuisine, Recipes, Cooking, Food Culture
