Over a year ago, D and I had dinner with some friends at an Argentinian restaurant. It was a place that my friends and I frequently visited, so we already knew our favorite dishes, but it was D’s first time there. While studying the menu, he was immediately fixated on the “parrillada mixta” – a platter with a variety of meat, including steak, short ribs, chicken, sweetbreads, and blood sausage.
“We HAVE to get this!” he exclaimed.
“No. It’s really expensive, and too much food.” I argued.
“But when are we EVER going to eat this again?!”
He had a point there. The restaurant was far from where we live and it wasn’t the kind of thing you’d eat often. So I gave in. We ordered it and a huge platter arrived on a sizzling grill. It was meant for 4 people, but the 2 of us tore through it. Given that it was the first time my friends were meeting D, I’m sure he made quite an impression.
It was a lovely meal. A taste of Argentina in Los Angeles. And that was that.
Fast forward to now, and we’re once again faced with a mountain of meat in front of us on a sizzling grill. Except this time, we’re in Argentina. That December evening, while stuffing our face and laughing over what pigs we are (clearly, some things never change), we never imagined that one day we’d be eating the same meal on the other side of Earth, in its home-country of origin.
Same meal, but not quite the same.
Argentina is famously known for a few things: tango, malbec, and consumption of beef. We’d be remiss to come all this way and not partake in them. But obviously, of the three, we were most eager to partake in consumption of beef. And for that, you go to a parrilla (or steakhouse).
After doing a bit of research, we decided to go to Las Cholas in the hipster Las Canitas neighborhood (an area known for its many parrillas), for its great value and reputation. We sat in the bright, airy second floor covered terrace, on wicker chairs and a layer of stone beneath our feet.
Immediately, we got good vibes from this place. The complimentary bread and sour cream spread were absolutely delicious. I couldn’t stop eating even though I knew it’d make me full before the meat comes. And the lemonade came in the cutest jug ever!
Observations about Buenos Aires: It’s an American misconception that chimmichurri is the sauce of the Argentines. Rather, bread here comes with a light and fluffy whipped sour cream spread. Orange juice and lemonade are the popular (non-alcoholic) drinks here.
We started our meal with an order of the provoleta completa, a cheese dish that came in a cast iron skillet. The warm, melty slab of provolone was topped with oregano, onions and tomato. We greedily devoured it, and only paused briefly to take note of the fact that we were in fact eating pure chunks of cheese.
Finally comes the meat! Even though it was only the two of us, we ordered the parrillada completa, the complete mixed grill, just like last time (like I said, some things never change).
There were the usual meats: skirt steak, hanger steak, short ribs, chicken, and pork sausages. But there was also the more interesting pieces: intestine and other organ meats.
1. short ribs 2. skirt steak 3. blackened intestines 4. pork sausage
But the most interesting by far was the blood sausage. Now, I’ve had blood sausage when we previously got the parrillada platter at the aforementioned Argentinian restaurant in Los Angeles. I was rather proud of myself for trying it and I actually quite liked it. But I now understand that what I had there was an extremely sanitized American version of this Argentinian creation.
What I had then was a sausage stuffed with rice, minced meat, and spices, with a little bit of sauce that you can assume is made from blood. What I see now in front of me is a sausage with a mushy, completely indecipherable deep purple filling. No rice, no discernable pieces of meat. Just mush.
blood sausage is made from blood, boiled until it’s thick enough to curdle
I cut off an end piece, and willed myself to try it. It stared back at me, taunting me. Finally, I picked it up with my fork and plopped it into my mouth, casing and all, and started chewing.
Immediately, the mush oozed through the entire inside of my mouth, thick and viscous, like glue. It stuck itself everywhere, to the roof of my mouth, under my tongue, in between my teeth and cheeks. It felt as if my mouth was swimming in molasses, except without the sweet taste. I’ve never eaten anything with a texture like this. Somehow I managed to force it down and spent the next few minutes cleaning out the insides of the mouth, where the mush left a sticky, slimy residue.
After a while, I looked around to see if everyone rejected this vile piece of food. Surely, even Argentinians can’t honestly like this! That was when I noticed that everyone was spreading the blood sausage filling on bread. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?
why yes, this is MUCH better
The taste was actually pretty good. It’s one of those foods that you’re not entirely sure you want to know what it’s made of, but it was spiced enough that the taste was not unpleasant. It was the texture that did me in.
In the end, after we could no longer shove any more food into our mouths, this is what we ended up with: take homes on the left, and rejects on the right.
Practical Information:
What: Las Cholas is very locally well-known for its great value. True, there are fancier and better parrillas in town, but you won’t find one that even comes close to what you get at Las Cholas for your money. And I quite like the rustic charm of the place.
Where: Las Cholas is located in the Las Canitas neighborhood of Buenos Aires, on the corner of Arce and Arevalo.
How much: I could barely believe it, but the parrillada plate was a mere $192 Argentinian pesos, or $24US (going by official exchange rate. This reminds me that I’ll need to explain the complicated money exchange rates separately). I forgot to mention that it also came with a bowl of fries. This portion is recommended for 3 people.
The final verdict: Even though we did not love everything (as evidenced by our reject pile), the value was good enough that we don’t feel like we wasted money. And plus, we ended up with couple of meals’ worth of leftovers. We will definitely return and get just the steak and short ribs. I also hear that the empanadas are the best in town.
But as for the blood sausage? I think it’s a pass for next time.
Have you been to a parrilla in Argentina? Do you like blood sausage? Share your stories!
This post is part of the #sundaytraveler series. Check out this post Travel Memories with Mom by Pack Me To (@packmeto), and don’t forget to support all the other participating blogs (links at the bottom of post)!
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Omg! The Argentina version of 1810! Haha, I’ll definitely pass on the blood sausage based on your description… :)
Yeah! But unfortunately, no delicious chimmichurri like 1810! I was so surprised (and kinda disappointed) to find out that it’s not a popular thing here at all. We even asked someone and was told that Argentinians eat very plain.
You guys are such adventurous eaters! We’re meat eaters and the rest of that platter looks delicious but I think I’ll pass on the blood sausage. We have a Filipino dish cooked in pig’s blood and it always makes me nauseous when I see it. My husband may just have fun with that sausage though. The provoleta completa looks so good. Your pictures and food description are great.
Yeah I don’t think I’ll be trying any more blood based food anytime soon, though I may try blood pudding when in London :). Don’t worry, D wasn’t brave enough to try it either, especially after seeing my expressions!
That bread looks so good. I have never tasted sweetbreads. I struggle with texture, so I can relate. I am not sure I am brave enough for the mushy, gushy feeling in my mouth! Ha Ha! that lemonade container sure was adorable!
Yeah, I totally get excited for the complimentary bread too! I find that I’m usually not a fan of really thick sticky/mushy textures (unless it’s cake, duh), so no more for me. One mouthful was enough :). Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment, Tamika!
You just reminded me how much I love Argentinian steakhouses. The best meat ever I’ve eaten in Argentina (and not only beef; chicken was awesome too). As for a blood sausage, I cannot even force myself to taste it. But my boyfriend is crazy about it.
I’ll have to say that the best meat I’ve eaten is here in Argentina too. The taste of the blood sausage isn’t bad, just the texture (the one I had at least). But I’m sure the way it’s made varies from place to place!
Oh my, that is one beautiful morcilla! I have eaten it in South America, Spain and Portugal and am now craving it, even after a big dinner. Your South American travels are bringing back so many great dining memories. Thanks for sharing and look forward to your upcoming foodie posts.
Ha! I didn’t even know that was the name for blood sausage, but now I know. And thanks Dave for following! That’s a compliment from a fellow foodie :).
I’ve heard of blood sausages but that was my first time reading about someone’s experience- interesting! and now i know how to eat it!
http://www.house-in-tillford.com/
Thanks so much for reading! I would still say try it for yourself should you ever come across it :). I’m sure each place has their own version, so you may find one more palatable.
Yum! That looks really really good. I’ve had blood sausage a couple of times, but the European version which looks completely different. I’ve never had it spread on bread before and I’d be game for trying it. I think my Hungarian boyfriend who adores blood sausage would love this.
I think I will try the European versions still when I’m over there in a couple of months. I know London has blood pudding, and you’ll have to recommend the Hungarian ones to me!
The food looks so delicious. I remember eating steak as big as my bicep in Argentina.
Yes! We definitely went back to the same place and the second time around, got a steak as large as our biceps :). For an incredibly good price too! Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Angela!
I have never been to Argentina, but I have tried a blood sausage. Not for me… yuck. But my husband loves them, and will always order them when he sees them. Big thanks for linking up with us for #SundayTraveler :)
It’s so weird that blood sausage seems to be a guy’s thing. All the men are saying that they love it, while girls won’t touch it. I’m curious to try the European versions still when I’m there. I think they’re less mushy there?
Anna, We’ve been wanting to get to Argentina just so we could experience this! This, that you describe…lots of good meat…and I didn’t even know about the cheese…oh my! Loved this post!
You will not be disappointed Corinne! The meat here is some of the best in the world, and that cheese dish was amazing! I really hope you make it down here someday! Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment!
That provoleta completa looks absolutely amazing – chunks of cheese?! Yum! All the meat looks amazing too :) Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler!
I know, right?! That cheese dish was sooooo amazing, and I would definitely eat it again even though I can practically feel my arteries plugging up. Thanks for stopping by Ashley!!
Wow, what a platter full. Like most things tried for the first time, if not done or eaten as in your case correctly the desired end result is somewhat off. Glad you managed to sample the blood sausage like a pate on bread, sure makes it more palatable. The Provoleta complete looks great, will have to try it.
The blood sausage on bread is a lot better. That was also the mushiness one I’ve had, which was really weird. I’ve tried blood sausage since then, and they were all firmer. That Provoleta was amazing!
Anna, as an argentinian, I could tell you that the morcilla is mostly eaten without it being spread over a piece of bread, otherwise you would be having a “morcipan” (every foodstuff eaten over a piece of bread is added the “-pan” suffix, think choripan). The texture of it isn’t off putting for everyone of us, even though some people won’t even dare to eat it!
Also, I see you guys left the intestines (chinchulines) aside and all I can think of is sacrilege! but well, maybe our culture isn’t as grossed out as others when it comes to our meat.
Cheers!