Among the more than 70 options of dishes offered by the second edition of the MAPPA fair,
the grill
-that great national gastronomic obsession-
does not predominate.
However
, fans of coals should not be alarmed because whoever seeks finds and
the irons are present.
And, as is to be expected in an event of these characteristics, with
creative and -in some cases- very innovative alternatives.
From a blood sausage cut into discs to a fish from the Chaco river, from a guanaco sausage to an anise-flavored sausage:
the meats with which the devotees of the "parri" can experience new textures and flavors are varied.
In all cases, they are
meats with proven traceability
that meet one of the objectives of the fair: to disseminate the work of producers throughout the country.
A "smoked" tour with information on what to eat, where and at what price.
What grilled dishes to try at MAPPA
1- Artisanal pork chistorra by Juan Pedro Rastellino
Juan Pedro Rastellino's chistorra in MAPPA.
Photo: Lucia Merle
The chistorra is a pork sausage of Basque-Navarrese origin
.
It has the particularity that it contains a large amount of paprika, hence its characteristic red color.
In Spain it is eaten dry, as if it were a salami or fried.
It is a fine sausage that
is made with sheep gut.
In this case, the one that the chef Juan Pedro Rastellino uses in his dish
is cooked on the grill and is his own preparation.
In this process they use paprika from Salta, from Cachi, which is sold in the fair market.
He accompanies it with some spicy broken potatoes and anchovy alioli.
At Juan Pedro Rastellino's stand, the dish is available for
$1,700.
2- Pork tongue blood sausage by Juan Pedro Rastellino
The pork tongue blood sausage by Juan Pedro Rastellino.
Photo Lucia Merle
"We developed
a different black pudding with a diameter of 15 centimeters
," explains Juan Pedro, responsible for the space with the largest number of grilled options at the fair.
It is made with cacao bovine casing.
"Instead of using the traditional pork cuts that are used to make blood sausage, we made them
100 percent pork tongue, well spiced with green onion
," he describes.
Taking advantage of the large diameter of the black pudding,
they serve it cut into discs, as if it were a hamburger.
Cook it on the grill to brown it and make the tripe very crunchy and accompany it with Tandil pastoral eggs a la venera and homemade milk bread.
This dish is worth $1,500.
3- Pork steak over firewood by Juan Pedro Rastellino
Juan Pedro Rastellino's pork churrasquito.
Photo: Lucia Merle
The
pork churrasquito
that Juan Pedro uses in this dish is available at the fair.
It is from the producer Porco Rosso.
"We choose them because
they ponder the traceability of the products
. We know how they care for and feed the animals," says the cook.
It is accompanied with sweet potato purée with a very smooth texture that contrasts with the Granada chimichurri from Tucumán that is also available at the fair.
The value of the plate is $1,900.
4- Pacú on the grill by Carlos Avalle from the Refinería restaurant (Rosario)
Pacú rib by Carlos Avalle from the Refinería restaurant in MAPPA.
Photo: Lucia Merle
In the Refinery stall, the famous restaurant in Rosario, is its chef Carlos Avalle, who behind the counter invites you to taste his grilled fish.
It is a
pacú chaco rib
accompanied by a
crispy kale salad, onions and pomegranate
.
The spicy touch is given by the jalapeño vinaigrette, burnt lemon and olive oil that pairs very well with the fat of the fish.
Carlos is familiar with this type of fish because he includes them on his menu.
"The pacú is a very meaty fish, with a good balance of fat content," says Carlos.
"We serve them with the ribs
because having the bone in cooking
releases the collagen and gives a great flavor on the palate
," he adds.
"The idea is that the rib is eaten by hand, like a pork rib
but fish, you get a little dirty but it's worth it," explains the chef.
The plate is worth $1,800.
5- Grilled sausage by Julio Báez from the Franca restaurant (CABA)
Julio Báez proposes a grilled sausage.
Photo: Lucia Merle.
At Franca's stand
, chef Julio Baez's booming restaurant, the star is also a sausage: "It's a
fresh sausage from Chacabuco
, the city where I'm from, it's
the best in the Province of Buenos Aires, they explode in your mouth the anise seeds
," he explains.
Grilling it deepens that intensity of flavors.
"I also have this sausage on the Franca menu," explains the chef who is nominated for the Best Chef 2023 awards.
Cooking is done on a kamado (oriental grill).
It is served with a chimichurri of fresh herbs and quince vinegar from Bariloche.
The contrast is found in the quince chutney that gives it a sweet touch.
The acidity is the task of the coriander and mustard pickles.
At Franca's stand for $2,000.
6- Pancho-parri of guanaco in turnip bread by Alejandra Repetto from El Alambique (Calafate)
The guanaco pancho that they serve at MAPPA.
Photo: Lucia Merle.
Alejandra Reppeto is an expert in cooking with guanaco meat: "
It's a guanaco from the refrigerator, it works the same as a bovine or a sheep
," she says.
"Being an animal native to the province of Santa Cruz, we want people to fall in love with this meat and to consume products from the area again," she says.
The meat is lean and very fibrous
: "That's why you have to learn to work it and be patient with it," explains the cook.
For the dish designed for MAPPA, they made
a grill-style sausage with beef fat, candied tomatoes, and capers:
"We use them to salt because you can't add a lot of salt to this type of meat because it dehydrates quickly," she says.
"In our restaurant we serve a dish with guanaco sausage and it is one of the most popular, which is why we chose to bring it because we know
it is something new
," explains Alejandra, referring to El Alambique, her restaurant in El Calafate.
The result is a hot dog that is accompanied with a well-salted raw ham chosen to balance the little seasoning of the sausage.
The acid touch is given by the rhubarb and apple pickles.
The bread
is striking because
it is made with activated carbon that gives it a particular black color.
The dish can be tried for $1,500 and is available at the stall that El Alambique shares with Alo's.
look also
MAPPA: what dishes are offered by the best restaurants in Buenos Aires for more than $1,000 at the gastronomic fair
Salami: which are the best in Argentina and what differences they have
