Behind the Scenes of Argentinian Cuisine: Charquisillo

Thousands of years ago, at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the first people to inhabit these lands found a way to dehydrate the meat and preserve it for longer without losing its flavor. The charqui, which comes from the Quechua term "charki," originated there.

Inheritance of the food culture of the native peoples, in much of Andean America the charqui is the protagonist of an endless number of traditional dishes. Among them is the charquisillo.

Initially, the charqui was prepared with llama and guanaco meats, until the arrival of bovine meats in America. It consists of drying, smoking and salting fine slices of meat, achieving a texture similar to that of leather, which is then hydrated with water or broth.

This recipe describes variations of the original version of charquisillo, like the inclusion of pimiento and pancetta or the substitution of lard with olive oil, among others.

Cooking in a vegetable broth is central to the charquisillo, since it nourishes the preparation of different flavors. As is the seasoning with paprika and ground chili and, in Omar's version, the potato garnish.