He also masters the flames of an “Asado” [barbecue argentin], that Messi a ball into the penalty area. Argentinian chef Francis Mallman is THE specialist in cooking over a wood fire, which he sublimates in his Argentinian restaurant at Château La Coste, in Puy-Sainte-Réparade. On the occasion of the final between France and Argentina, he confides in 20 minutes on the links between the Argentine people and barbecues, and gives us some tips for enjoying a meal with Argentine flavors before the final clash between Mbappé and Messi.
How would you describe the fervor there, in Argentina?
I’m in Buenos Aires and people are very happy. There is a lot of hope for the final, after the great semi-final against Croatia in which we played very well. It’s hot, it’s sunny, and Buenos Aires is very special, it’s a very big city with 12 million people, which is very close to France. Carlos Thays copied Paris a great deal when he designed the city at the end of the 19th century.
Have you ever cooked for a player from the Argentinian or French national team?
I cooked several times for Maradona, I don’t know how many times exactly. But that was a very long time ago, around 1985, we were very young at that time.
What will the Argentinian supporters cook for the final, Sunday noon?
Sundays in Argentina often start around the picada. It is a wooden table on which we have ham, salads, different things to eat before lunch. During this time we prepare the Asado, the grill which is very important to us. You have to light the fire 4 hours in advance to have good embers for cooking the meat. It is served with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Not to mention the Chimichurri sauce, our national sauce for meat made with garlic, parsley, olive oil and hot peppers.
The specialty of the Asado is to cook large pieces of meat…
Yes, we often cook beef ribs, the whole ribs. These are large pieces of meat that are placed upright in front of the fire and not directly near the embers, to have a slow cooking which can last five hours. In general, we first cook chorizo, blood sausages, and even sweetbreads grilled very slowly for three hours. The meat is very tender, it’s delicious. And then we put bigger pieces of meat, like sides of beef which can be up to 40 centimeters. But the most important thing, beyond the quality of the meat and the food in general, is to be together around a table for five to six hours. So that leaves time to watch the game!
What is the relationship of Argentinians with the barbecue, and cooking over a wood fire?
Wood fire is a silent language, which takes a very long time to learn. It comes from the “gauchos”, the cowboys from our region. The quality of the meat is very good, we have incredible farms in the Pampa region, near Cordoba, Rosario. It’s a very old tradition, we were all born next to the fire.
What does this mean for Argentinians?
We are close to nature. Even in town, everyone has a grill at home. Everyone has a grill even without a garden, to make the asado on the weekend; On Sundays we also often eat gnocchi, it’s breaded meat in garlic, parsley and bread. This weekend a lot of Argentinians are going to make Asado, but also milanesa Gnocchi, so no one has to stay near the fire during the game. Because you need a lot of attention and never take your eyes off the asado.
What Argentinian recipe would you recommend to supporters of the French team for Sunday lunch?
So if we have the space to make an Asado, I would recommend it. With sides of beef, it’s really delicious. And otherwise the milanesa, these are thin slices of beef that are flattened with a piece of wood. They are then dipped in egg, I like them with fresh bread crumbs, and they are cooked in an oven or in a pan with olive oil or butter. You can make a Criolla salad, with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions or red peppers, with a very good wine vinegar, and put the milanesa on it. With a good slice of country bread, it makes a very good lunch for the match.
Which French and Argentinian products or ingredients go together best?
I think it’s the lamb, which is very popular in France, and especially in Provence. This is delicious. It must be cooked whole, on an iron cross placed upright in front of the fire. A lamb of 8 to 12 kg, which is cooked for four hours. Three hours on the bone side, and then another on the other side to create a small crust. This is something very strong for both countries. And we sprinkle it every twenty minutes with a mixture of lemon water, garlic rosemary and a little salt. This way the meat takes on all the flavor. The peculiarity of this cooking is to cook it completely. It is not rare, as you like to eat it in France, and which I also like, it is completely cooked, as the gauchos like it, but it is very tender because it is cooked slowly.
Who do you support for this final?
I support Argentina, of course. We are very happy with this final, against France which has been very good since the start of the World Cup. We’ll see, football is something magical and it’s very difficult to know who will win. It will be very difficult, but the game against Croatia gave us a lot of confidence. If we manage to reproduce the same game, it will be a very good match.
Especially since it could be Messi’s last…
I feel that for the first time, all the players are very close. Like a group of friends. They are there to play and to win for Messi. They came out of their individualistic mentality, to whoever will set the goal. So I think the game is going to be very good.