The time to light the grill is sacred.
A ritual of which all Argentines are proud.
But the choice of meat to cook creates
a rift between those who prefer fatty cuts and
those who promote healthy living who prefer lean
pieces such as rump steak and loin.
These are beef cuts that have their differences, the first located exactly at the tip of the rump and has a triangular shape.
It weighs around 1.2 kilos and although it stands out when cooked in the oven, it is very good on the grill.
The loin is a limpid piece of meat that is located below the lumbar vertebrae, on the internal side of the beef.
The entire piece weighs around 2 kilos and consists of three parts: head, center and tail.
It also has a glued cord that is the most greasy part of the piece.
Even among those who are in favor of "throwing on the grill" cuts with less fat content the waters are divided.
The tenderloin is preferred by those who care about their silhouette and by a large majority of meat experts, and
the tail is the favorite of those who seek more flavor.
Loin and tail: which is better for the grill
Grilled tenderloin, for fans of tender meats.
Photo: Shutterstock.
Higher performance or more flavor? That is the question.
The chef Christian Petersen summarizes: “Loin is loin, that is, it is yielding, lean and easy to cook.
The downside is that being lean it can dry out.”
The tail is a round cut with a lot of fat on one side, "that's why it's perfect for grilling, it also has the benefit that if you grill it well, the center will be ready, the finite tip will be more cooked and the thick part will come out juicy." ", says.
At the Don Julio grill, awarded second place on the podium of "The 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America", they do not sell any of these cuts but they do in their butcher shop.
Pablo Rivero says that he likes the grilled rump tail better "because it is more popular and it cooks easier."
He also highlights his
fat-covered feature as a plus point.
Fresh loin.
The good quality of the meat is a fundamental part of the success of the roast.
Photo: Shutterstock.
But it does not detract from the fame of the tenderloin
: “It deserves a place on the grill, it is spectacular,
not everyone can do it well and get it bleu (meat is sealed on the outside and completely red on the inside).
It is difficult to achieve a juicy point on the inside and a good crispness on the crust that takes all the flavor of the grill”, says Rivero.
By the way, he reveals a secret so that it does not go too far "take it out of the fridge last, because since it does not have fat, cooking is faster."
"The tenderloin is not my favorite cut to grill, not at all",
says the cook and barbecue Felicitas Pizarro.
Perhaps it is because when she was little she ate a lot of rump tail with potatoes and sweet potatoes that this cut earned a place in her heart.
And, whether baked or grilled, she wins first place.
In any case, he accepts that
"the loin is a cut that yields...
Being so tender, if it is left to the point,
a tenderness is achieved that is almost impossible to achieve with any cut
".
He highlights the benefits of the cordon that is delicious when cooked on the embers and points out that in its extension it accepts many cooking points: the head, the heart and the tail.
Both loin and tail are virtually zero waste meat.
As a "con" of
the rump tail, it can become hard.
Something that does not happen with the loin that is always tender.
“I allow myself to season a rump tail more because of its fat content.
It has more flavor and that is a differential”, says Pizarro.
For his part, Gastón Riveira, from La Cabrera, suggests giving these lean cuts a twist to make them stand out more.
“
The loin improves by wrapping it with slices of smoked bacon or in brochette format,
and the
rump tail can be filled with garlic butter or butter with smoked paprika
,” says the grill man.
And he adds: "The idea is to eat a lean cut on the grill but in a different way."
To add extra flavor, he always suggests finishing cooking with a splinter of fruit tree.
Loin skewer, another way to enjoy this cut on the grill.
Photo Lucia Merle
Far from taking them to the oven, Riveira points out that “they don't have a problem with grilling, they are delicious…
What could be better than a grilled tenderloin with a fig and garlic mayonnaise?
”, She is sincere.
In La Cabrera, the brochette of loin is much requested and the rump steak is served open, like a butterfly, with a “round and round” cooking.
Not everything is rosy
on the grill of the humorist, cook and gourmet Eduardo "Cabito" Massa Alcántara where the tenderloin is not welcome.
"Argentina is the country of meat where people don't know how to eat meat," Cabito launches and explains that people praise how tender this piece is.
"As if tenderness were synonymous with good... Nobody talks to you about the flavor, they only say that it is soft," he laments.
“We slaughter animals that are too young, and that deteriorates the flavor.
That is why the spine gains so many followers.
Do you wonder why it is usually sauced on the loin?
Because it doesn't taste like anything!"
she says between laughs.
Comparing both cuts, the tail clearly wins "a million to one" for this cook
who maintains that the rump tail has more fat and that makes it tastier and "nobody would dream of sauced tasty meat."
As a recommendation for readers who do not eat the loin on the grill and serve it in a barbecue, he tells what he does when this happens: "
I cheat and eat the cord, it is the most bearable."
How to season grilled meat
pink salt.
Photo: Unsplash
All the experts consulted opted for a good salt, if the pocket allows it, marine.
Cabito shared the rule that he uses when he is in charge of the grill, simple and easy to remember: “cut as big as a rib, thick salt;
medium cut, a piece of about two kilos, grill salt and fillets or small pieces, fine salt”.
They also agreed that the only thing good meat needs is salt.
Although
Riveira added pepper and an ingredient that is not usually used as a seasoning for grilled meats: nutmeg.
“
It adds a very rich flavor”, he says.
Once at the table
, let's not forget the chimichurri or the criolla sauce, which make a good pairing with any cut.
Recommendations for cooking rump steak and loin on the grill
The rest of the cooked meat favors the redistribution of the juices.
Photo Lucia Merle
Don't skimp on coal.
Good coals are critical to success.
The cooking time will depend on the size of the piece and the amount of heat.
The grill should be at medium height and to check it you can place your hand and count to ten.
That indicates that the meat will not be snatched (if they were quick-cooking steaks, the count should not reach five).
Once the whole piece is ready, let it rest on a board or next to the grill for five minutes so that the juices redistribute.
Grilled tenderloin recipe
Loin.
Photo Lucia Merle
Look at the step-by-step recipe for grilled loin
Grilled rump tail recipe
Quadrille tail.
.
Photo Lucia Merle
Look at the step-by-step recipe for grilled rump steak
look too
Renewed roast: what are the fashionable cuts of meat and where to try them
The ranking of the roast: the favorite cuts and offal of Argentines and their best recipes
