We have been welcoming guests to Los Potreros (The Enclosures) since the 1940s and our kitchen provides everyone who stays here with an insight into the delights of Argentine cuisine. Visitors discover the art of making and savouring traditional mate tea, the secrets to getting the best flavours from Argentina’s famous beef, and the family recipes behind the sumptuous cakes that are baking continuously in the original wood-burning oven. The kitchen is, without a doubt, the heart and soul of the estancia.The pleasures of Argentine food are also extended to the outdoors, with guests enjoying their meals under the shade of the verandah or a nearby tree. Their friendly chatter over the dining table is accompanied by the lively chirping of monk parakeets in the branches above.
Every chef across the world, pays close attention to what goes into their food but here at Los Potreros we are also concerned about what our food is doing to the environment. Our chefs have always had a “no waste mentality” and now more than every they are minimizing what they throw out and developing a menu to ensure they can continue to cut down what little waste we still have, throughout the last few months we have begun to test out new ideas with great success.
Chimichurri is traditionally made of finely-chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, oil and white vinegar. Though there are regional variations, it is also a recipe which is usually kept as a closely guarded secret. Chimichurri is not a marinade as argentines tend to use salt as the only seasoning on a piece of beef but it is used as a condiment at any asado.
A Los Pots Asado is more than just a meal…
It’s an experience into the heart of Argentine culture. Indulge in the flavors of Argentina’s most iconic meal, expertly prepared by our chefs using locally sourced, premium meats. Enjoy the mesmerizing outdoor setting while watching the asado being cooked to perfection, offering an unforgettable taste of tradition, family, and hospitality.
This is a Los Potreros speciality, the smoky taste of the pizza base from cooking outside on the parrilla combined with four different cheeses from Argentina and a rich tomato sauce is a speciality and one of our most popular lunches. Alongside making it a meal, we often use it as a ‘picada’ before an asado. This traditional Argentine pizza is grilled to perfection, giving it a smoky flavor and crispy crust, all while using the finest, locally sourced ingredients. Perfect for an outdoor meal, this dish brings together the best of Argentine culinary traditions and the unforgettable flavors of the grill.
Serves 6
375ml tomato passata
Fresh basil and oregano
150g cheddar cheese, grated
150g blue cheese, crumbled
150g mozzarella
150g additional hard cheese (we use an unaged Parmesan)
2tsp dried oregano
2tsp chilli flakes
2 garlic, chopped
2 onions, diced
2tsp dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
450ml warm water
600g 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
2tbs olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/390ºF or light your fire if you are cooking on a grill or outdoor pizza oven.
To make the dough combined the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture with olive oil, and the warm water and knead for around 10 minutes until the dough is sticky and smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. If the dough is to sticky add more flour or water if it becomes to dry.
Using floured hands, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel and leave to sit for an hour until it has doubled in size.
Whilst you are waiting for the dough to prove, make the sauce by sautéing the garlic, onions and then adding the tomato passata, herbs and allow to cook through. Grate the cheese and leave to sit out of the fridge, this will help them to cook a little faster.
Divide the dough into two portions, on a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch out the dough to form a large thin circular or rectangle shape Transfer onto a lightly floured baking tray and repeat with the second.
If you are cooking on an outside grill, ensure you have plenty of coals and rub some olive oil into the dough to. make sure it does not stick and cook on each side. If you are cooking in the oven place the baking tray in the hot oven and flip the dough over as it starts to colour. This will happen quite quickly if the oven is hot! Otherwise transfer the dough into the pizza oven and allow the dough to go golden on each side. Remove from the oven and spread the tomato passata over the base and sprinkle with cheese and any remaining herbs. Argentines often add parma ham, onion or fresh olives as toppings. Once you have topped according to taste cook again long enough for the cheese to melt.
April in the Los Pots Kitchen brings a bounty of seasonal ingredients and unique flavors that celebrate the changing seasons in Argentina. As we transition from summer to autumn, our kitchen team at Estancia Los Potreros prepares hearty, fresh dishes that reflect the rich traditions of Argentine cuisine. Experience the best of local, sustainable cooking, with ingredients sourced from our own gardens and local suppliers.
The asado originated in the 19th century with the gauchos, the word is used to describe both the occasion and the meat itself, traditionally wood from the White Quebracho tree would be used as it is relatively smokeless and produces good coals. Whilst beef is the focus of the asado many argentines also choose to cook chicken. Lunches at Los Potreros include both options but we particularly love a chicken asado. Chicken cooked on the parrilla marinated with lemon, onion, garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil. The preferred method is cooking the chicken as a whole butterflied.
1 Chicken
3 Onions
4 Garlic Cloves
Lemon Juice
Fresh thyme & rosemary
Olive oil
To prepare the parrilla for cooking you will need a lot of coals and a higher temperature than cooking beef, so ensure you light the fire around 30 minutes earlier than if you were cooking a normal asado. Light the fire around 11am to have sufficient time to begin cooking for a 1330 lunch. You will need minimum of one and a half hours to cook the chicken and must always put chicken on the parrilla for half an hour more than any red meat. Using a butterflied chicken place on the parrilla bone face-down and allow the chicken to start cooking. To check if the grill is hot enough hold your hand above it and if you can hold it for longer than 10 seconds you need to add more coals. Peel the onions and garlic and blend with the lemon juice and olive oil until it produces a thick paste and roughly cut the fresh herbs and add them to the mix. Brush the chicken with the paste whilst cooking, 3 or 4 times until serving, to ensure the chicken stays moist and does not become too dry. Turn the chickens regularly so they don’t burn and to allow for even cooking.
* goes really well with a fresh salad and bread cooked on the parrilla. Top the bread with fresh tomatoes diced with oregano, diced onions and a little olive oil.
Chimichurri is traditionally made of finely-chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, oil and white vinegar. Though there are regional variations, it is also a recipe which is usually kept as a closely guarded secret. Chimichurri is not a marinade as argentines tend to use salt as the only seasoning on a piece of beef but it is used as a condiment at any asado.
No visit to Argentina is complete without an asado, and at Los Potreros no matter the occasion we try to enjoy weekly asado’s ranging from suckling pig, cuts of beef, potatoes to a whole host of vegetables.
The Argentine asado (or barbecue) is more than just a meal; it is an essential part of Argentine life. The default option for celebrating birthdays, special events, and holidays, or simply just an excuse to gather with family and friends. You cannot visit Argentina without enjoying an asado. They tend to be long, drawn-out meals stretching through the afternoon and into the evening. An asado is cooking in its purest most simple form.
Argentines prepare the meat for an asado very simply; just with salt. They prefer not to use marinades. The asador will season the meat with coarse salt, but the true flavour of the asado comes from good grilling techniques and high quality beef. Most Argentines prefer their meat cooked medium well or well done and often like the fattier cuts of meat, as they typically have more flavour.
At a typical asado, at least three of the following items will be prepared. Sausages are served first, followed by other cuts of meat. The other cuts of meat could include;
Chorizo (pork sausage seasoned with salt, black pepper, garlic)
Morcilla (blood sausage)
Salchicha Parrillera (thin sausage rolled in a large spiral)
Mollejas (sweetbreads)
Tira de Asado (short ribs)
Vacío (flank steak)
Bife de chorizo (sirloin steak)
Matambre (flank)
Achuras (offal)
Chinchulines (small intestines)
Riñones (kidneys)
There may also be grilled chicken, pork or kid offered as well. At Los Potreros and across Argentina, a suckling pig is cooked on the parrilla on special occasions such as Christmas or New Year’s Eve.
Argentine asado’s are all about the meat, but there’s usually at least one or two token vegetables or non-meat dishes on offer. Provoleta, a grilled, gooey slab of cheese seasoned with fresh herbs from the garden, makes the perfect start to the meal. Potatoes, sweetcorn or bell peppers roasted also feature regularly on the Los Potreros menu.
Starting the fire with dry hard wood creates better coals. Light the fire around 11:00 for a 14:00 lunch or earlier depending on the number of coals needed for cooking and type of wood.
Keep adding wood and once you have good coals place them under the parrilla.
Cook the meat on top - it takes a long time for well cooked meat so bare this in mind. Once you have coals under the parrilla you can test to see if it is hot enough for cooking if you can hold your hand above for more than 10 seconds it needs more coals. Another sign to listen for is if you can hear the meat sizzling when you put it on the grill.
