OK, I was told all beef produced in Argentina is the grass-fed organically grown kind? You know, the expensive stuff that stores like Whole Foods in the US charge a premium for (not a big beef eater here).

So some relatives said to look for beef jerky made from grass-fed organic beef. Is there such a thing?

I checked a couple of super markets and they have dried fruit but no beef jerky. Certainly a lot of chorizos and salami, smoked salmon.

Chorizos are pork, presumably?

And even if I find this special beef jerky, it's moot because no way I would imagine this stuff being allowed in through customs.

Argentina may have a lot of pampas but as a big volume exporter of beef (but not apparently to the US?), you wouldn't think they'd do the slower production methods of just feeding their cattle grass when synthetic hormones and such yield so much more, as the US cattle industry has shown.

No, they make chorizons out of chicken / pollo also.
We had some in a restaurant, no idea what they sell in stores though.
We don't eat red meat , but from what I have heard, the beef in Argentina is better than any beef in the US..no hormones, etc..makes a difference.,,for the better.

ALL beef grown in Argentina is grass-fed, free range, and most likely hormone free. The cows do get, occasionally, their vaccines, so I guess that would disqualify them as "organic"...
The farm economics in AR are different than the US, with acres and acres of pasture lands, so no need to torture the poor cows in tiny "cages" their whole life like in the US. Talk about "happy cows"...

Sibera, that's funny! Happy Cows....I will think about that line the next time I eat a nice bife de chorizo in Buenos Aires. Mmmmm....

Scarlett, I no longer eat red meat in the United STates because A. It isn't as good as Argentine beef B. It has hormones and who knows what else pumped into the meat....

But in BA, I overdose on carnes...

I think the beef we had at Juana M in BsAs was among the best, but here in Central Mexico, our wonderful beef is free-range, grass-fed and hormone free out of economic necessity.
Buen provecho.
M

Hello scrib:

Chorizo is sausage and as such is different for every producer and region that it may come from. Some great, some not so great.

Beef in Argentina is the best.

They know how to grow and cut it as well as how to cook it. The beef is so plentiful that it is not unusual for a restaurant, especailly a BBQ place, to serve a double filet mignon when one is ordered.

12 years ago I was told that there was still a law on the books in Argentina, that a wanderer could butcher a cow for his own use, but had to leave the hide on the fence. The teller was a good friend and I have no reason to doubt him alltho he may have been misinformed. He was demonstrating the value of their leather vs the plentiful amount of beef. I don't think I would want to try slaughtering an animal myself.

At a very good restaurant [not a nose bleeder] I had a double filet dinner with all the accompanyments last March and it came to $ 7.00 Canadian. No gristle, not tough, cooked the way I like it [seared outside and pink inside].

I live in Alberta where we have pretty good beef and I have had good steaks in Monana, also good beef counry, but none nearly as good as that in Argentina.

Anyone going to Argentina would do themselves a disservice if they do not eat BBQ beef or check out the leather products, not to mention the wine.

Woodie

Not a big red meat eater but I did have a lomito, about 12 ounces total I would guess, and it was about $9 (26 pesos) with accompaniments.

Didn't really see BBQ beef there, although I wasn't really looking to eat beef every meal. Yes I know, when in Rome....

Didn't really look for too much leather. Bought a belt at the Recoleta market on Saturday for $6. It's okay but nothing special. In the shops, the prices were over $30.

I like the belt I bought in Florence for 10 euros better because they had different buckles and the leather was finished on both sides (although not necessarily reversible).

From what I could tell, Florence had better options for things like wallets and coin purses and such, even at stores like Peruzzi, with beautiful bright colors. The stuff in BA, especially at the market, was folk motif or Indian, no fancy colors and way more casual in design.

Florence stuff looked like higher quality, just IMO.

Neither place had cell phone or iPod cases, which I would have been interested in buying.