Al contrario que la creencia popular española de que un asado es una actividad exclusiva de los argentinos, los chilenos también los hacen; es básicamente una barbacoa sudamericana, con cortes de carne inusuales para nosotros, con mucha música y muy buen ambiente. La única norma es no decirle al que está cocinando cómo tiene que hacerlo o tocarle el fuego.
Para celebrar el final de la temporada en AWASI nos regalaron a todos los trabajadores un asado en la Estancia Lazo en la Sierra del Toro, que debe de ser una de las estancias más bonitas de toda la Patagonia, tanto chilena como argentina.
Justo cuando fuimos estuvo nublado la mayoría del tiempo, pero una vez las nubes se levantaron pudimos ver los Cuernos del Paine en todo su esplendor, y son muy bonitos.
Hacia las 9:30 estábamos saliendo de los terrenos de AWASI con las furgonetas del Señor Cárdenas, que se encarga durante toda la temporada del trajín de subir y bajar a los trabajadores de AWASI por los caminos de ripio cada cuatro días.
Llegamos a Lazo y el famoso viento patagónico trajo la primera nevada del otoño. El asado estaba preparado al lado de una de las cabañas de la Estancia, así que ningún problema.
La familia y los gauchos de la Estancia nos estaba esperando con el horno encendido desde hacia tiempo y con los diferentes fuegos y parrillas a punto para la carne: vacuno, cordero y pollo. La Tía Noe y Juvenal, los cocineros de personal de AWASI, habían preparado también ensaladas, quesos, embutidos y postres.
Así que a eso de las 10:30 de la mañana dio comienzo el asado de despedida de la temporada: kilos y kilos de carne asada con cariño, música a todo trapo y muchos litros de Cerveza Austral, la de la Patagonia.Fue una fiesta familiar para compartir comida, historias y anécdotas de la intensa temporada que dejábamos atrás. Nos intentaron enseñar a bailar, a comer y a tomar… nos lo pasamos genial.
¡Hasta el año que viene AWASI!Enrique & Marina
THE ASADO AT THE ESTANCIA
As opposed to what most people believes, asados (those wood fired barbecues overly supplied with meat of all kinds) aren’t exclusively an Argentinian tradition. They are probably as popular in Chile. We now think about them as South American barbecues. The meat cuts are pretty much the same you can find in Argentina but impossible to find at a supermarket or a regular butcher anywhere else in the world. Besides, they have to be outdoors, with cumbia or reggaeton playing and a relaxed environment. The golden rule is to not tell the cook how to prepare the meat and never arrange his fire.
To celebrate the end of the season at Awasi, the company took all of us to an insane asado at Estancia Lazo. This is a glorious property located at Sierra Toro where we take many of our guests as it probably is within the top 10 of the most beautiful Patagonic farms in Chile or Argentina.
The day wasn’t very sunny and the clouds blocked the view most of the time. Luckily, it cleared and we could see the Horns of Paine Massif from the other side of lake Sarmiento and just on the shore of Laguna Verde where the view was just incredible.
That day we left Awasi at about 9.30 A.M. Our colleague Don Cárdenas, who took care of arranging the staff shuttle for the whole season, also provided most of the vans that took us to estancia Lazo.
At the same time we got to Lazo, the Patagonic wind brought another good snowfall to this autumn. Of course that’s not an uncommon situation and asados in this estancia take place right next to a warm shelter equipped with a gigantic wood burner with many teapots on top te be used to make tea or mate.
The family and the gauchos who manage Lazo had been preparing the fire pit for hours before we arrived. They also have a handcrafted titanic oven made with an old boiler to roast the larger pieces and that was lit too. There was enough meat for a family to eat for a whole year: chicken, beef and lamb; all the cuts you could think of. In South America all parts of the animal are valued and have a particularity worth to taste. While in the US parts such as the famous vacio becomes ground meat, in Chile and Argentina they are appreciated and fought over. Along with all this, our staff cooks Tía Noe and Juvenal had prepared all the sides, salads and desserts, including the best tres leches cake in the planet that she makes to celebrate special occasions.
Well, so basically at 10.30 the asado-party started. There were tons of meat lovely roasted, music loud as in a night club and litres and litres of regional Austral beer. There were also a few tracks to follow and a field to play football if you wanted to burn some calories before the feast. It was a familiar party to share great food, stories happened during the season and relax. Our colleagues tried to teach us how to dance, eat and drink. Some skills were easier than others to master.
See you next year, Awasi!
Enrique & Marina
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