0:00:02 > 0:00:03Six cooks.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Six countries.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Six incredible journeys.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09WHOOPING
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Aaaaahh!
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Stepping outside their comfort zones...
0:00:13 > 0:00:14DOGS BARK
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It's not for the faint-hearted, for sure.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..our cooks will travel far and wide...
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Route 7 all the way.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27..to find some of the most exciting food on the planet.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30If you're back in the UK, you've got a tandoori chicken,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32nothing like this.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35It's beautiful, this is the best food I've had in Egypt.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39It's pure, it's got heritage, it's got love in it, you know.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41They'll go off the beaten track...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Crocodile. Crocodile sausages.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..meeting extraordinary people,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51exploring ways of life unchanged for centuries.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55No electric blenders in the jungle, have to do everything by hand.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Take your life into your own hands, we're on the road now.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03As they travel they'll see how the language of food
0:01:03 > 0:01:05transcends cultural differences.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I've never huffed on a cheese before.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09And a world away from home.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11This is why I love Australia.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14- There's no excuse for a bad pie in Australia.- No.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16This is the beginning, where do we end?
0:01:16 > 0:01:21They'll learn lessons that could change the way we cook forever.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I've been cooking a barbecue wrongly all my life.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Wow!
0:01:32 > 0:01:36This time, beef connoisseur and MasterChef judge John Torode
0:01:36 > 0:01:42travels to what could almost be his culinary homeland, Argentina.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43It's a bloke's dream, this is.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45HE GRUNTS
0:01:45 > 0:01:47He'll go native with the gauchos...
0:01:49 > 0:01:51..learn the secrets of cooking with fire...
0:01:51 > 0:01:54This for me is a revelation.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57..and search for the best piece of steak in the world.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59What a way to eat.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00What a way to cook.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02What a way to live.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12'I've travelled halfway around the world to reach Argentina's
0:02:12 > 0:02:15'capital city, Buenos Aires.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20'This is the country that for the last 20 years has consumed
0:02:20 > 0:02:23'more beef than anywhere on the planet.'
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We are standing in Buenos Aires, in a suburb, on the roadside,
0:02:27 > 0:02:33and here we go, a barbecue, and it smells great, absolutely great.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'In my 35 years as a chef, I've run restaurants built on beef
0:02:40 > 0:02:45'and written books about beef, but amazingly this is my first trip
0:02:45 > 0:02:47'to its spiritual heartland.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'And I can't wait to get started.'
0:02:52 > 0:02:54I want to go to the Pampas. I want to meet the herdsmen.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57I want to meet the gauchos. I want to understand the butchery.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I want to find the best possible cut of beef
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and I want to be able to find out the best way to cook it.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05'I've come here to find out about the foodstuff that
0:03:05 > 0:03:09'dominates my professional life and the country that creates it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14'Beef is in Argentina's DNA.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'After the end of the Spanish colonial rule,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21'the new country capitalised on the cattle grazing
0:03:21 > 0:03:23'the lush plains surrounding Buenos Aires.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'Immigration helped build the country
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'into one of the world's wealthiest.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32'Behind it all was beef.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38'In a city built on the fruit of the countryside, how appropriate
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'that once a week the countryside comes to the city.'
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Beautiful, aren't you? Aren't you beautiful?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54'Here at the Mataderos market the people of Buenos Aires
0:03:54 > 0:03:56'celebrate traditional rural life
0:03:56 > 0:04:00'and the cowboys of the Pampas, gauchos,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02'who rear this city's daily meat.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10'I feel as though I need to pinch myself.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16'This is the start of my very own beef odyssey.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It is magical, absolutely magical.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28It's a bloke's dream, this is.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29'There is beef everywhere.'
0:04:32 > 0:04:35And he obviously eats quite a bit of it.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41That's beef...
0:04:41 > 0:04:45That's beef, I get that, but that...
0:04:45 > 0:04:47is an armadillo.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48- Peludo.- Palulo.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Great!
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'The jury's out on armadillo, but there's plenty more on offer.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'Some I'm more familiar with.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Loads of ladies over here making empanadas.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Every single one of them being handmade.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It's a piece of pastry, inside is a filling of meat or vegetables
0:05:12 > 0:05:15or fish and it's deep fried.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19'Empanadas may be a lovely starter,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'but they're really only the warm-up to the main course.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'And to help me get my head around Argentina's love affair with beef
0:05:25 > 0:05:30'I've hooked up with Narda Lepes, Argentina's Nigella Lawson.'
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Hola!
0:05:33 > 0:05:36That's the problem with hanging out with celebrities,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38you see, she's famous here.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42I mean, you'd have to be blind not to see that beef is everywhere.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47- Yes, it is.- How important is beef to Argentinian culture?
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Regular Argentinian thinks that if he doesn't eat meat,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53he didn't eat at all.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54He lost a meal.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Right, what are we going to eat from here, then? What's...?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Well, we have this.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04When it comes to meat sandwiches, we cut our meat word in half
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and we put pan beside it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08So what's a vaciopan? What's vaciopan?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- That's the big piece of meat. - Yep.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Very well done it will be, of course.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Hola. Vaciopan y choripan.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21'In the UK, barbecues are becoming ever more popular,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24'but this is a whole new level.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25'Here it's called an asado
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'and it isn't a pastime, it's a way of life.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Celebration is around meat.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Every Sunday you will have a family asado,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38that's something you will have, so that's what we all did.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40'And wherever there's an asado,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42'there'll be a certain accompaniment.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:44You have to put chimichurri.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- Chimichurri...- Chimichurri.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48..is garlic...
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Garlic, oregano, chilli flakes,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55vinegar, oil and some brine.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59If it's really good, it's made with brine and not salt.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'See, my favourite cut of beef is a rump steak
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'cooked really quickly over flame.'
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Have it!
0:07:06 > 0:07:09'But it looks like my first taste of Argentinian beef is going to be
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'from a piece of flank that's been cooking all morning
0:07:12 > 0:07:14'and then served in a bun.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Delicious!
0:07:20 > 0:07:23'If beef cooked simply on the streets is that good
0:07:23 > 0:07:26'it bodes pretty well for the rest of my trip.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:29This is properly delicious!
0:07:31 > 0:07:32Oh, my God.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'So I've had my first taste of cooked beef,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'but if I'm going to understand what makes Argentinian beef so renowned,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43'I need to see it a bit more fresh.'
0:07:48 > 0:07:53'Here on the outskirts of Buenos Aires is the Liniers cattle market.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59'Each week, up to 50,000 head of cattle come here
0:07:59 > 0:08:01'to be sold at auction.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04'Their next stop is the slaughterhouse.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'The official price of beef nationwide is set here.'
0:08:12 > 0:08:17'And the first thing I notice is the breeds look pretty familiar.'
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Great-looking animals.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23'In fact, they're British, Herefords and Aberdeen Angus,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26'a legacy from the 19th century, when British expertise
0:08:26 > 0:08:30'and investment launched Argentina's beef industry.'
0:08:35 > 0:08:36And the atmosphere is electric.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I mean, they are actually auctioning live animals here right now.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44'Amongst those bidding, I've managed to find one English speaker.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47'Mariano Richards buys cattle here for one of Argentina's
0:08:47 > 0:08:50'biggest abattoirs.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Tell me what breed are you...? What breed do you look for?
0:08:53 > 0:08:54Aberdeen Angus.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- Aberdeen Angus.- Yes.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58But Aberdeen Angus comes from Scotland, not from Argentina.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Yes, but we have better Aberdeen Angus here.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Do you? Brilliant, and tell me, when you buy...
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Black or red.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Black or red, doesn't really matter which.- Yes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Tell me, when you're buying cattle like this, what are you looking for?
0:09:12 > 0:09:18We're looking a young animal and...not too thin or not too fat.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'In the UK, prime beef cattle like this would cost
0:09:24 > 0:09:26'up to £2.50 a kilo at auction.'
0:09:27 > 0:09:30If I was to buy, say, that black one in the middle there,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33that Aberdeen Angus, how much would it cost me?
0:09:33 > 0:09:3519 pesos a kilo.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40- 19 pesos a kilo, which is about £1, £1.50 per kilo.- Yes.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42That's not a lot of money, is it?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Mmm, no.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'So live meat here, where cheap beef is considered a birthright,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50'is around half the price it is in Britain.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53'This is no accident.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55'The government policy here is to keep the prices low.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57'Now, that's good for the consumer,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00'but it's hard to see how the farmers can make a living.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08'American Mike Skowronek has been farming cattle in Argentina
0:10:08 > 0:10:12'for domestic consumption for 11 years, so he would know.'
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Feedlot!
0:10:13 > 0:10:18During the auction I heard the word feedlot. What's feedlot?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Oh, feedlot is an animal containment facility
0:10:21 > 0:10:26where the animals are taken and fed various grains
0:10:26 > 0:10:31and dry substances to fatten them for slaughter.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37Sorry, so...the animals aren't out on the land at all?
0:10:37 > 0:10:38No, feedlot animals, no.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Isn't Argentinian beef all about the Pampas?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Traditionally, yes, but more and more,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46every year that goes by, less and less.
0:10:46 > 0:10:52What percentage of the beef in Argentina, then, now is on feedlot?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54I would say that...upwards of 80%.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58- Today.- 80?!
0:10:58 > 0:10:5980%.
0:10:59 > 0:11:0280% of the beef that you're eating in Argentina
0:11:02 > 0:11:03is actually from feedlot?
0:11:03 > 0:11:06That's right. Our official figures will be lower.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10'Official figures for domestic consumption from feedlot are lower,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13'in fact they're 25%.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16'But all of this comes as a shock to me.'
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I embarked on this journey to know more about Argentinian beef,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23to go to the Pampas, to see the grass, to see these amazing cattle,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and what has just happened here is I've been dropped a bombshell,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and the bombshell is that somebody suggests
0:11:28 > 0:11:34that maybe 80% of Argentinian beef is grown in feedlots on grain.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Well, that changes everything, doesn't it?
0:11:37 > 0:11:41That changes the whole perception of what Argentinian beef is all about.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46I feel slightly heartbroken.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'It's a million miles from what I expected
0:11:52 > 0:11:55'and it doesn't fit the image I had at all.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57'To discover more, I need to hit the road.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03'Just two hours' drive from Buenos Aires and you're in the Pampas.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06'In my imagination, the bovine paradise.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09'But the first cows I'm going to see are in pens,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'because Mike's put me in touch with a feedlot that I can visit.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:18This is absolutely nothing like I expected.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23I hear feedlot and I thought more like a factory, but what this is
0:12:23 > 0:12:25is just a whole lot of cattle...
0:12:26 > 0:12:27..on mounds.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30It's...
0:12:32 > 0:12:33It's extraordinary.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37There's thousands of animals...
0:12:38 > 0:12:39..on dirt.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'It's a far cry from the image I had of cows roaming the pastures
0:12:47 > 0:12:49'and gently munching grass.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52'The feedlot here has been going for 18 years,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55'managed by Federico Rivarola.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:59How many head of cattle have you got here, Federico?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Right now we have 10,000.
0:13:02 > 0:13:0510,000 animals?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- 10,000.- 10,000 animals.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11'This is a form of intensive farming,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'where cows are bought to be fattened for slaughter.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18'A lifestyle very different from the traditional way of rearing cattle,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21'where cows spend their whole lives on grass.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25'In the UK, the vast majority of cattle are still
0:13:25 > 0:13:28'completely grass-fed, so you know what you're getting.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32'At this place I have no idea what these animals are eating.'
0:13:33 > 0:13:35They eat corn - it's a primary -
0:13:35 > 0:13:38maize and wet corn with their feed,
0:13:38 > 0:13:39so they can get bigger.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42These kind of animal can...
0:13:44 > 0:13:49..can be...1.6 kilos per day.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- They can increase in size by 1.6 kilos a day?- Yes.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'Cows raised totally on grass will take up to two years
0:13:58 > 0:14:00'to reach slaughter weight.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03'The high-energy feedlot diet offers a short cut.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07'A cow coming here at six months old can be ready for the table at
0:14:07 > 0:14:12'11 months old, less than half the time and at a fraction of the cost.'
0:14:15 > 0:14:19'I can't help but wonder whether this all affects the actual taste.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- That's...- Look at this.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26That's what I'm talking about!
0:14:26 > 0:14:30'Up at the house, Federico's father has organised a little asado,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34'composed exclusively of feedlot beef.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'A whole new experience for me.'
0:14:37 > 0:14:39It's very creamy.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41That's the only way I can explain it.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44It's creamy, almost sort of milk-like.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45It's very sweet
0:14:45 > 0:14:47and quite, quite delicious.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- Very nice, no?- Mm.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54'It's all a bit confusing.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58'I came to Argentina to find out what makes its beef so special,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02'assuming it was the grass and the lifestyle.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04'But here I'm greedily tearing meat off the bone
0:15:04 > 0:15:07'that was raised totally differently.'
0:15:09 > 0:15:12'So my first outing on the Pampas isn't turning out
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'quite as I had expected.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'It looks like I've got a lot more to learn than I thought.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:24The markets on the edge of Buenos Aires, on this busy city,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28you drive down a road and suddenly there's a feedlot.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It's just a country which is... joined together by beef.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36It's like this big conga of beef.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44'No cow-conga on this stretch of road, though.'
0:15:45 > 0:15:50The landscape's sort of like it's been cut up and divided into patches
0:15:50 > 0:15:55and there's patches of absolute green and then there's just
0:15:55 > 0:16:01this patch of scarred land which looks burnt and brown and grey.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10'The brown I'm seeing is the aftermath of a soy harvest.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'Seen as a wonder crop which could save the Argentine economy
0:16:17 > 0:16:21'in the 1990s, vast swathes of the Pampas were converted to soy.'
0:16:22 > 0:16:25And so greedy are they for it they're not just
0:16:25 > 0:16:27planting on their own land
0:16:27 > 0:16:30but they're also planting on the verges on the roadside,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34and kilometre after kilometre along the highways
0:16:34 > 0:16:36is left behind with this brown-ness.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42'Much of it is exported for use as animal feed.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46'But in Argentina the cattle have lost out.'
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Is this the future of what used to be once the verdant green-ness
0:16:51 > 0:16:53of the Pampas of Argentina?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It's not very attractive, is it?
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'In just a couple of decades, centuries of tradition
0:17:03 > 0:17:07'have come under threat from the twin temptations of feedlot and soy.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11'But I'm not prepared to accept defeat quite yet
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'and, as I always say, tomorrow is a new day.'
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I'm off to a place called Ombu,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28which is an estancia, or a ranch, cattle ranch.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32I've been recommended it because it's somewhere I can stay overnight
0:17:32 > 0:17:36but more importantly it's still a working property,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38which means they graze their cattle on the Pampas,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41there's gauchos, or herdsmen, who look after the animals
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and it's going to be a chance to actually
0:17:44 > 0:17:48see the gauchos at their work and understand the cattle on the Pampas.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Good morning.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And I...I think this is what Argentina was supposed
0:18:18 > 0:18:23to be like in my mind, this sort of Latin American architecture,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25very sort of Spanish in feel.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Wide open spaces, horses, cattle,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32but what I didn't expect is how verdant it is.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's every shade of green.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38You understand now why the cattle love it so much.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Lots of grass, no hills, a bit of shade.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46They must have a happy life out here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'Acres and acres of lush grass and flat terrain
0:18:49 > 0:18:53'are the ideal conditions for cows to get maximum nutrition
0:18:53 > 0:18:55'with minimum effort.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58'That was the combination which built the industry
0:18:58 > 0:19:00'and culture here in the first place.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06'This estancia has all the romance I came looking for.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08'But to survive these days,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12'many traditional farms like this one have had to diversify.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15'Ombu offers rooms for rent.'
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Good morning.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- Good morning, sir.- You're Jorge?
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- I'm Jorge.- Very nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24'So I have a chance to see gauchos at work.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:27My experience on horses is not great,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31but you know, hey, I'm out in the Pampas, there's horses,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33there's cattle, I might as well get amongst it
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and do the job, mightn't I?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Right.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40As long as I can get my foot up. Arghhh!
0:19:40 > 0:19:41No.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44JOHN LAUGHS
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Go on.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49'72-year-old Oscar comes from a venerable line of gauchos.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51'In his many decades in the saddle
0:19:51 > 0:19:54'he's seen everything the Pampas has to offer.'
0:19:54 > 0:19:56JOHN GRUNTS
0:19:56 > 0:19:58'Well, nearly everything.'
0:19:59 > 0:20:01This is a wide saddle.
0:20:01 > 0:20:02Crikey.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05That was fun, wasn't it?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Interesting way to get on a horse!
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:20:12 > 0:20:14'Good start.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18'I feel I'm going to need a driving lesson before I get near any cows.'
0:20:20 > 0:20:23We drive with one hand, yes, OK,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and the movement is not like that,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29it's just...put the reins in the neck and make this.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30- Oh, it's on the neck.- Yeah.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31I see.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34We are ready to go.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37'From chef to gaucho in five minutes flat.'
0:20:39 > 0:20:43It's just so calm and so lovely,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45erm...but we're off to work, can't talk now.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'Actually I don't think I could stop her if I wanted to.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Stop it, stop.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03'First we have to move the cattle from the far field
0:21:03 > 0:21:05'towards the enclosures.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15'It's a fascinating glimpse into the country's origins.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'The first gauchos lived wild lives,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21'hunting the escaped cattle that roamed the vast grasslands.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28'When rich landowners fenced off the Pampas
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'they utilised the gauchos' skills to look after their cows.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37'Since then, they've come to embody the spirit of Argentina.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:41This is pretty amazing.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43The fact is there are two of the largest bulls
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I've ever seen in my life amongst that herd.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49There it is, and we're looking after it. It's unbelievable.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I love it!
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Good girl. Good girl.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Good girl.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00'In terms of rearing beef, this couldn't be more different
0:22:00 > 0:22:03'from the feedlot I saw yesterday.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'This is highly skilled, it's labour intensive,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08'but it's what I was looking for.'
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Feedlot, schmeedlot! This is how you make cattle!
0:22:15 > 0:22:17'Once these cows are in the enclosure,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19'it's no place for a beginner.'
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- So this is the first time the mothers have been separated from the calves?- Yeah.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- So that's why it's so difficult. - Yeah, they are screaming too much.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- Better get out of the way. - Be careful.- Here come some more.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I mean, watching them work is quite incredible.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Actually, also... not exactly un-frightening.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42To me this looks like something which is...it's like the Wild West.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46And we are now stuck in a pen full of cows.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Suppose not much I can do, really.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51This old guy here is Oscar.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53He's 72.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55And I've just watched him
0:22:55 > 0:22:59whisper a horse out amongst a group of cattle.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06'So job done, it's time for a tea break.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10'But unless I'm much mistaken, that's not Earl Grey.'
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Shall I drink all of it?- Yeah.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22We drink a lot of mate. It's our culture.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24If we have a free time.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- And I give it to you? - Yeah, again.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'Mate is a caffeine-rich herbal infusion,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'part energy drink, part social ritual.'
0:23:35 > 0:23:36It's very bitter.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Actually it tastes to me of fennel and aniseed and tobacco.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49'If the gauchos personify the traditional way of rearing beef
0:23:49 > 0:23:53'in Argentina, I'd love to know how they choose to eat it.'
0:23:53 > 0:23:56You know, obviously as gauchos you guys are around horses
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and beef all your life.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01What sort of beef do you prefer to eat?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Do you prefer to eat beef that's been on the grass
0:24:04 > 0:24:07or do you like feedlot beef?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10We prefer the natural beef.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14You can taste the difference in the mouth.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18The meat is more... is a little more strong.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22A little more hard but it tastes more good.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26So we, the gauchos, prefer natural food.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30You say that I should be able to tell the difference
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and prefer to have naturally reared beef.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- Do you want to taste from a natural cow?- Yes.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41Yeah, here in this estancia we make natural cows every time.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- Good. And you'll share your favourite piece?- Yeah.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45OK, good, perfect.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52'And here is Jorge's favourite piece. It's quite a big one.'
0:24:57 > 0:25:02So this just seems to be the most basic barbecue in the whole world.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Because we are used to putting steaks on barbecues.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09These guys actually have a fire and...that's it.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12And the warmth of the fire cooks the meat
0:25:12 > 0:25:14and at the same time the smoke smokes it.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19There's not a sausage, there's not a steak and there's not a chop.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24There's not a hamburger. This is a barbecue Argentinian style.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28But what I'm... What I need to know is, where's yours?
0:25:28 > 0:25:33I don't know how you eat, but I want to eat a little piece of this.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37- If you want, it's all yours. - THEY LAUGH
0:25:39 > 0:25:41'Now, that's a recipe.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45'Light a fire, stake a side of beef over it and roast for three hours.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52'Up at the house the head cook, Oscar's wife Rosa,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54'is busy with the starters.'
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Hey, Rosa. Si.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01What are we making?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08'Rosa's making empanadas,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10'Argentina's favourite little pasties.'
0:26:15 > 0:26:17The great thing about cooking is that so much of it's visual
0:26:17 > 0:26:20that you can learn just by watching somebody.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Thankfully, because I have no idea what she's saying.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27'Once the onions and the red peppers are softened,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'Rosa adds the mince, then comes the seasoning.'
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- Good amount of salt.- Pimienta.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Pimienta. Which is pepper.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38So salt and white pepper.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39What's this?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Pimenton rojo, dulce.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Pimenton rojo.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46(Paprika.)
0:26:46 > 0:26:50So you're going to put little green onions in and they go in last.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58OK. The meat's going to cook and then these will go in afterwards,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02to be able to give some texture and more flavour, instead of garlic.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So, as you continue to chop, I suppose
0:27:04 > 0:27:07I should make an empanada myself.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09So you're going to do empanada carne?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:27:11 > 0:27:14'Regardless of the language barrier, Rosa loves a chat.'
0:27:15 > 0:27:20- And me...me, I make empanada verdura.- Verdura.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39'In short, my empanadas will be basically the same as Rosa's,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43'I'm simply substituting the meat for cheese and spinach.'
0:27:43 > 0:27:44Pimienta?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48'Rosa's filling looks ready.'
0:27:48 > 0:27:51If you look at it now it's almost like it's made its own gravy.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55But it's not fine like mince, it's actually big lumpy bits, look.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59'So Rosa transfers some of hers into a bowl to cool.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01'She also seems in a hurry to start my veggie ones.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Just calm. I've got to finish. Si. OK? Mix.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Misto.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Just...piano, piano, gaucho.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16So, in my mix so far I've got some onions and peppers,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18some spring onions and spinach.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Add to that lots and lots of cheese.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22- You like this?- Muy bueno.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- Bueno?- Muy bueno.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27'Now for the real masterclass,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31'the challenge of encasing your filling in the pastry disc.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35'A skill which Rosa makes look like child's play.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36'As for me...'
0:28:37 > 0:28:40First... SHE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- Ah? Si.- Si? Muy bien.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Yep.
0:28:51 > 0:28:52OK.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53So go...
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Muy bien.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Ah-ha, I got a "muy bien"!
0:28:59 > 0:29:02So how many...how many empanadas does the average person eat?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Perfecto!
0:29:09 > 0:29:11- Perfecto!- Perfecto.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Good, so presently, if everybody eats three or four,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20we've done enough for one and a half people.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Caliente...
0:29:23 > 0:29:26We seem to have a deal. The deal is that the vegetable ones
0:29:26 > 0:29:28are going to be baked - she likes baked ones - and we're
0:29:28 > 0:29:31going to do fried ones with the meat ones because I like them fried.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37'Rosa crimps her meat empanadas differently to identify them,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40'while mine get an egg wash and popped into the oven.'
0:29:50 > 0:29:53'And so we have it, Rosa's fried meat empanadas
0:29:53 > 0:29:56'and my baked veggie ones, ready for the gauchos,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59'who are outside whiling away the time
0:29:59 > 0:30:02'the way I'd imagine they always have.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04'This asado is a pretty different from the one
0:30:04 > 0:30:07'I had in Buenos Aires but there's one thing that appears
0:30:07 > 0:30:11'at every asado, chimichurri, and it's my turn to make it.'
0:30:11 > 0:30:15And it's pretty simple, not made up of very many ingredients at all.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Salt, first,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and over the top of that, we're going to put some hot water
0:30:21 > 0:30:23just to make a bit of brine.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Some dried parsley,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28some dried chilli,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30some vinegar,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33a little bit of oil,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36pepper,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38leave that to sit for a second
0:30:38 > 0:30:41and it starts to come together pretty quickly.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47So the story goes that this sauce actually comes from English soldiers
0:30:47 > 0:30:48who came here in the early 1800s
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and they were saying, "Give me curry, give me curry,"
0:30:51 > 0:30:55they wanted something spicy like they had in the days of the Raj in places like India,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58and that was translated instead of "give me curry" to "chimichurri",
0:30:58 > 0:31:00and chimichurri has stuck as the sauce.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05That's really how simple it all is.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06I like a bit more freshness
0:31:06 > 0:31:08so I'm going to add a load of chopped parsley
0:31:08 > 0:31:10and I think this is going to be perfect with this...
0:31:10 > 0:31:12that big hunk of meat
0:31:12 > 0:31:15that's sitting there slowly cooking away with the gauchos.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17Look at that.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Give me curry, chimichurri.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Three hours ago, this was a stake of metal and raw meat.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Slowly all the fat's rendered away,
0:31:47 > 0:31:53the meat is slowly coming off the bone, the fire is just licking it,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56enjoying it, having fun with it, and it's just...
0:31:56 > 0:31:59it...this whole thing has become something very, very beautiful.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04I mean, this has been happening for centuries
0:32:04 > 0:32:07and we in the UK know nothing about it.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I have not seen anything like this before in my life.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14I've not felt like this for a very, very long time about food.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18But that as a piece of meat, in my mind, is really special.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21'Before I get stuck in to the main event,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24'there's wine and Rosa's empanadas.'
0:32:25 > 0:32:27That's good beer.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34My first taste of Argentinian grass-fed beef,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37straight off the Pampas,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39as I've dreamt about for many, many years.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41It looks amazing.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48It tastes like real beef, it's smoky...
0:32:49 > 0:32:53That's...heart-thumping stuff.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57'Eating like this is a rare privilege.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59'It's so authentic,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01'and one thing's really clear,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05'a gaucho is only as good as his knife.'
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Little knife, big knife.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12I want to taste this, it's really...
0:33:12 > 0:33:14I made that.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- You made this?- Yeah. I'm rubbish at getting on a horse
0:33:17 > 0:33:20but I'm really good at cooking.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Good.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23JOHN LAUGHS
0:33:27 > 0:33:30The feedlot beef is creamy, absolutely,
0:33:30 > 0:33:31yes, it's tender,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33yes, it's got good flavour,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36but this is bold, it's big,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38and to me it tastes like beef.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42Wow.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44What a way to eat.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46What a way to cook.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48What a way to live.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06'Estancia Ombu, what an experience.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09'What strikes me is that one of the things
0:34:09 > 0:34:13'that made it special last night was that cut of meat we ate.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'One you simply don't find in the UK.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'Again I'm learning about the meat I love,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23'and to find out more I'm following a gaucho tip-off.'
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Besides the breed of beef, besides the lifestyle of beef,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29one of the things I want to know about in Argentina
0:34:29 > 0:34:33is their style of butchery, and that's what I'm about to do.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35This is San Antonio de Areco,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37and I'm off to see a butcher.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40'The gauchos' favourite butcher is in a corner shop
0:34:40 > 0:34:43'on the outskirts of San Antonio.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:57Here we have Juan Carlos
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and his wife, who's running the shop next door,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02with everything from deep-frying baskets,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06pots and pans and biscuits, all the way to the butcher.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10'Juan Carlos is a butcher of few words.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14'He lets his tools do all the talking, but as he gets to work
0:35:14 > 0:35:19'I get to see the cuts of beef found on asados all over Argentina.'
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Brilliant.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28This is exactly what we had on our asado, which was on the cross.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30This is all of this.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33'This part of the animal's composed of hard-working muscle,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35'so it's strong and dense,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37'but slow-cooked, as it was last night,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40'still tender and very tasty.'
0:35:40 > 0:35:43For us in the UK, we might use the ribs, but not very much,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46most of the meat's stripped back down and it's all minced.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49'Far from mincing it, in a country that loves beef on the bone,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53'this whole side can be turned into a classic Argentine cut.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58'Tira de asado, or short-cut ribs.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03'What's left on the hook are the parts of the animal
0:36:03 > 0:36:06'most prized and popular in the UK.'
0:36:06 > 0:36:10So ribs up this end, then further up you've got your sirloins,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12your fillet is still inside, attached,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15so you take your T-bones from around here
0:36:15 > 0:36:18and then at the back here your... this top bit here
0:36:18 > 0:36:20is the rump, your love handles.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24Everybody thinks rump's your bottom, it's not, it's your love handles.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29'These steak cuts may be more tender but not necessarily the most tasty.'
0:36:29 > 0:36:33So now he's taken the fillet off - filet mignon, fillet steak.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Or, if you wrap it in pastry, beef Wellington, mate.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40So this is the sirloin coming off.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Look at that.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44That's a proper sirloin.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47There's only a couple of tiny things which are minced
0:36:47 > 0:36:49and turned into empanadas or whatever,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52but the rest of them they're using as whole bits of meat
0:36:52 > 0:36:55to be eaten on the bone or off the bone
0:36:55 > 0:36:58and it's a shame that we in the UK have lost that art.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02We want food quick, so we cut our meat up into thin slices
0:37:02 > 0:37:04or we make them into steaks
0:37:04 > 0:37:06or we mince it so it cooks really, really quickly.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10We don't take these big muscles any more and slowly roast them,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12it's a shame, but it's the modern world.
0:37:15 > 0:37:16'Here in San Antonio de Areco
0:37:16 > 0:37:19'the modern world seems to be kept at bay.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23'This is a real gaucho town.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30'I'd love to stay longer, but I've got a long road ahead,
0:37:30 > 0:37:35'because, now I've seen the cattle of Argentina, the butchery,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37'and I've cooked gaucho style,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40'it's time to turn my attention to the professional world,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42'and far to the west,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44'at the foot of the Andes in the province of Mendoza,
0:37:44 > 0:37:49'is a restaurant that is said to be a temple to the cooking of beef.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52'Driving there is a pilgrimage
0:37:52 > 0:37:55'which I'm hoping will lead me to the holy grail -
0:37:55 > 0:37:58'a perfect plate of beef.'
0:38:02 > 0:38:05So there we are, we've turned onto Route 7,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and my satellite navigation system tells me
0:38:08 > 0:38:11I've only got 942 kilometres to go.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Route 7 all the way.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17'Looks like this journey's going to be well in excess of ten hours,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20'a bit of an endurance test.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24'But in terms of navigation, I don't think I'm going to be challenged.'
0:38:24 > 0:38:27There's nothing on this Route 7 except for a straight road,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29it's just a straight road.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I mean, if I look at my rear vision mirror
0:38:32 > 0:38:34there's a straight road behind me,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37I look in front of me there's a straight road in front of me.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40As far as the eye can see, just a straight road.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42It's just crazy.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45This is the craziest road I've ever been on in my whole life.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52'Ten hours of straight road.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58ARGENTINE FOLK MUSIC PLAYS
0:38:58 > 0:39:00'And Argentine FM isn't helping.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09'Pit stop required, see if I can't find myself a decent tune.'
0:39:12 > 0:39:16I think I need a bit of rock'n'roll for the road tip.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18I've got Acca Dacca, AC/DC.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Hells Bells, Shoot To Thrill, What Do You Do For Money Honey,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Giving The Dog A Bone, Let Me Put My Love Into You.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Fancy.
0:39:28 > 0:39:29How do I get the CD out?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Oh, I love this sort of stuff, look.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Every type of empanada you could want.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38You pull into a servo, all I wanted was a wee and cup of coffee.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39Tortas, tarts.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Fernet for tonight. Might as well take that with me, that's good.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45These are called alfajores.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47They're like a sandwich biscuit.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49I'm going to walk out with mountains of stuff
0:39:49 > 0:39:51cos it's like a treasure trove. Accer Daccer.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53AC/DC.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57So I'm going to have to try each one to see which brand I like.
0:39:57 > 0:39:58Coffee to take away,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01and I get given a mate while I'm here.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Brilliant.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06MUSIC PLAYS: Hell's Bells by AC/DC
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Got my biscuits, my Accer Daccer...
0:40:10 > 0:40:12..and I'm eating up the miles.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15As for the road, no change.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25Ah, this is the straightest road I've ever driven in my whole life.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26I'm loving it, though.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'The scenery hasn't changed much but,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38'with 500km of Route 7 under my belt,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41'thankfully lunchtime has come around.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49'With it, my chance to experience an Argentine institution.'
0:40:52 > 0:40:56This is a roadside cafe, a parrilla,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58which is like a barbecue area
0:40:58 > 0:41:01and it's called El Camionero, which is a truck driver.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03It's a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Hola.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Hola.
0:41:16 > 0:41:17Now that's what you call a fire.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Hola.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Hola. Can I have a look?
0:41:21 > 0:41:22Si.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Wow.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30I want... I want a fire and I want meat, look.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Meat?
0:41:32 > 0:41:35That's meat.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Wow, nice.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42This I've never seen before.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45He's put coals inside so it stays nice and hot,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47you've got your own little grill plate
0:41:47 > 0:41:49with a mixture of bits and pieces,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51and then everybody gets to help themselves.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54And look, can you hear that? GRILL SIZZLES
0:41:54 > 0:41:55So it's grilling.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59I mean, this is a truck stop on a highway.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Pull up and this is what you get.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03This is a meat lover's paradise.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07'Beef sausages, fat blood sausages and intestines,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10'a mixed grill like no other.'
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Ah...
0:42:12 > 0:42:14So by winching this up....
0:42:19 > 0:42:21That's so clever.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23This is called an asado
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and the man who controls it is an asador,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28a proper craftsman.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31He understands fire and he understands food.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42Because me, I would burn wood and coal in a barbecue
0:42:42 > 0:42:44and then I would set the meat on top of it,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48but this is what I should be doing, burning the wood separately
0:42:48 > 0:42:53in a cage first, then laying it out and then cooking over it.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57'So on my personal grill, tira de asado, the short-cut ribs,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01'along with another cut I saw at the butcher's, vacio or flank,
0:43:01 > 0:43:02'all for under a fiver.'
0:43:04 > 0:43:06HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Ah, that should keep me going for lunch!
0:43:13 > 0:43:14You've got to chew it.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17It's not a steak, it's not a sirloin, it's not a rump,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19it's not a fillet, it's a real piece of meat.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21You've got to chew it and it tastes like beef
0:43:21 > 0:43:24and it's been cooked beautifully.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27'My meat feast hits all the right notes,
0:43:27 > 0:43:30'but even my pit stop at El Camionero
0:43:30 > 0:43:32'has taught me something new.'
0:43:32 > 0:43:35I've watched somebody who understands fire
0:43:35 > 0:43:36properly cook my lunch.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39I've learnt something. I've loved watching it.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41This is what I love to do,
0:43:41 > 0:43:45and sitting down and eating it, I suppose, is the icing on the cake.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Brilliant! This is what I came to Argentina for.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56'It's hard to imagine how I'm going to top the flame-fuelled meat
0:43:56 > 0:43:58'I've eaten so far,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02'but my next destination is legendary amongst beef lovers
0:44:02 > 0:44:06'and there's not just one fire, but seven.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09'To see this, I've got to keep my truck pointed west
0:44:09 > 0:44:12'on Route 7, which is still -
0:44:12 > 0:44:15'yep, you guessed it - straight.'
0:44:15 > 0:44:19There's literally nothing but straight road.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Straight again, still a straight road.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Straight behind, straight in front.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28I haven't been this straight for years!
0:44:30 > 0:44:31HE LAUGHS
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Oh, dear.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41This will send you completely doolally.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43If they're doing a bit of work on this road,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45they've got a long way to go!
0:44:45 > 0:44:47Ha, ha, ha!
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Oh, look, exciting!
0:44:49 > 0:44:52One of the electricity posts has changed,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54it's different from the rest of them!
0:44:54 > 0:44:55Ha, ha, ha!
0:44:58 > 0:45:02'Route 7 is slowly but surely drawing me towards Mendoza
0:45:02 > 0:45:05'to complete my beef-inspired road trip,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08'but it's not just food I'm going for.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:10DIAL TONE
0:45:10 > 0:45:11'There's a friend there too.'
0:45:11 > 0:45:13DIAL TONE
0:45:15 > 0:45:16ON PHONE: Si?
0:45:16 > 0:45:17G'day, Mata. It's John.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Hi! How are you?
0:45:19 > 0:45:20I'm all right.
0:45:20 > 0:45:21Tell me you're in Argentina.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23I'm in Argentina.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25I'm on a big, straight road.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27So you're driving to Mendoza?
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Yeah, driving to Mendoza now.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31My birthday's on Saturday.
0:45:31 > 0:45:32Your birthday!
0:45:32 > 0:45:34I'm having a big barbecue, a big asado.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36It'd be great if you can join us.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37This weekend?
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Yes!
0:45:39 > 0:45:43How exciting! Argentina and your birthday, and an asado, brilliant!
0:45:43 > 0:45:44Well, we'll see you then.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Bye, love.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48That's pretty cool.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51So, Mata... Mata's a friend of mine
0:45:51 > 0:45:56I met doing food shows in England, and she makes wine so
0:45:56 > 0:46:00when you're invited to a barbie, what do you do? You go to a barbie,
0:46:00 > 0:46:06but what do you take to somebody who owns a vineyard in Argentina?
0:46:08 > 0:46:12'Well, at least I've got, what?
0:46:12 > 0:46:16'400km of Route 7 thinking time in front of me.'
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Oh, look! Oh-ho, look!
0:46:18 > 0:46:21We've got a little bend in the road!
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Hold on tight, it's a bend!
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Go around! Oh, guess what?
0:46:26 > 0:46:29It's straight again. Ha, ha, ha!
0:46:29 > 0:46:31'This road drives you crazy all right,
0:46:31 > 0:46:33'but through the haze of madness,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35'I've started to see something clearly.'
0:46:36 > 0:46:40I thought I was a great cook, and I thought I was a great cook
0:46:40 > 0:46:42at cooking outside, at cooking barbecues.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46But what I've realised while I'm here in Argentina is that
0:46:46 > 0:46:48I've been doing it wrong all my life.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53That actually the fire that cooks the meat has to be made
0:46:53 > 0:46:56before it goes anywhere near the barbecue.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58That's pretty big to admit,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03that actually I've been cooking a barbecue wrongly all my life.
0:47:05 > 0:47:06Wow.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10'The sun's setting but this drive's not over yet,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13'and once again nature calls.'
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Like anybody on a road trip I need to wee really bad,
0:47:19 > 0:47:21so I stopped here at St Louis.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23It's about 6 o'clock in the evening
0:47:23 > 0:47:25and he's baking bread for tonight.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27It's just brilliant!
0:47:27 > 0:47:29The oven's obviously home-made,
0:47:29 > 0:47:31because the chimney's an old tin can.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36I love it!
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Like the bread, right? This bread is just on trays, a tin,
0:47:39 > 0:47:43there's a bit of metal all curled up, there's just bread.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47'No dials on this bakers' oven. He's baking by feel.'
0:47:54 > 0:47:58This whole country... This country is crazy. I love it.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01The main highway from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, it's a thousand
0:48:01 > 0:48:04kilometres long, it's straight and you go a bit bonkers on it, and then
0:48:04 > 0:48:07you turn up there's a guy baking bread on the side of the road!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I've had lunch in a place that I never knew existed with
0:48:10 > 0:48:13truckers and now I'm going to get some bread, look!
0:48:13 > 0:48:15There you go, he's even got me some bread.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22I mean, it's a great loaf of bread.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25I mean, if it hit you, it'd kill you,
0:48:25 > 0:48:27but, I mean, it's a big loaf of bread!
0:48:27 > 0:48:31Yeah. Shall we take this with us? Cuanto? How much?
0:48:32 > 0:48:33No!
0:48:34 > 0:48:37I can't... I've got to do this, because I have to, my friend.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39I've got to do a selfie.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Because you are rocking and rolling unbelievably amazing.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46Right, come on, you, smile.
0:48:46 > 0:48:47Let's see.
0:48:50 > 0:48:51Bye, Mr Bread Man.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55That guy was great.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58Genuine, real, extraordinary and in a place like this, and look at this!
0:48:58 > 0:49:02Look at that. Completely different landscape altogether.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07Argentina just continues to surprise me.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12'Route 7 actually continues all the way to the border of Chile.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15'I'm not going that far. No way.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18'Tomorrow brings me to my journey's end.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28'A new day finds me back at the wheel,
0:49:28 > 0:49:30'but now I've got mountains for company.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36'This is Mendoza.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38'The mountains are the Andes.'
0:49:40 > 0:49:43'And I'm slowly approaching
0:49:43 > 0:49:46'the place I've driven across Argentina to find -
0:49:46 > 0:49:49'Siete Fuegos, the Seven Fires,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52'a veritable temple of beef.'
0:49:55 > 0:49:59I, erm, I think I may have landed in paradise.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05There's kitchens in the world and then there's kitchens like that.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08'In its short life, Siete Fuegos has become an essential destination
0:50:08 > 0:50:10'for the foodie jet set,
0:50:10 > 0:50:15'a place to experience the ultimate flame-fuelled beef.'
0:50:15 > 0:50:17I want to learn about fire,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19I want to know about beef,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and this place is as posh as you get in Argentina,
0:50:22 > 0:50:26where fire and beef are king.
0:50:26 > 0:50:27'In between services,
0:50:27 > 0:50:31'head chef Diego Irrera has agreed to reveal its secrets.'
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Hi. Hola.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36So this is one fire, you have seven.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37- Seven fires, yeah.- Seven fires.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43- This one.- OK...
0:50:44 > 0:50:46- This one.- OK, Infernillo.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49This is called the Inferno, Little Hell.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53And you put stuff in between that plate and it's ferociously hot.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56'Fire number five is a pit in the ground,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00'giving vegetables deep earthy and smoky flavours.
0:51:00 > 0:51:06'Above it, fire six has a cauldron over it for stews and the like.'
0:51:06 > 0:51:09And this, now number seven. Brilliant.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11So the deal is, this is really,
0:51:11 > 0:51:15very, very similar to what we saw with the gauchos.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17This pit can hold a lot of animals.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20These balls that look like something you hang from a Christmas tree,
0:51:20 > 0:51:21they put chickens in.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23I want one of these in my back garden.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27'And so to my final lesson in beef.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30'Diego has opted for what looks like something
0:51:30 > 0:51:32'Fred Flintstone might chew on.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35'But it's actually three rib cuts in one.'
0:51:35 > 0:51:37This here is the eye of the meat.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40DIEGO SPEAKS SPANISH
0:51:40 > 0:51:43So this here is the bit that we used with the gauchos,
0:51:43 > 0:51:47then the bones of course are the bits that we ate with
0:51:47 > 0:51:49the guys in the truck stop which had been chopped up.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52So what we've got now is this massive steak.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56I've seen one of these before, and we call it a Tomahawk,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59but I've never seen them cooked over fire.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04'First a good rub of salt, then to the coals.'
0:52:04 > 0:52:07But you know what is amazing is that this is exactly the same process
0:52:07 > 0:52:10as the truck stop, exactly the same, so it's a posh restaurant
0:52:10 > 0:52:12but they're using exactly the same equipment,
0:52:12 > 0:52:14and posher bits of meat, absolutely.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16That steak will cost a lot of money.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19International clientele, that's what I've just worked out,
0:52:19 > 0:52:22this place is about international clientele, isn't it?
0:52:22 > 0:52:24It's about international people. Look at the environment.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27These people are used to eating steaks.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30'The expectation of the customers may be different
0:52:30 > 0:52:33'from yesterday's parilla or the gauchos' asado,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36'but the basic elements remain the same.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42'This place just throws in some cool architecture
0:52:42 > 0:52:45'and a dash of rock and roll.'
0:52:45 > 0:52:47Whole tomatoes on coals. That's cool!
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Looks to me like we've got sort of pizza
0:52:52 > 0:52:54and we're going to cook it on the coals.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58I mean, look at this, this is just, it's not even just on the coals,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01he's then putting coals on top as well.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03'And I've just realised this is
0:53:03 > 0:53:06'the closest I've come to a vegetable in a week!'
0:53:06 > 0:53:12Argentina is about simplicity, but beauty with it,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14and this is it. A revelation!
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Chimichurri.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Chimichurri, chimichurri!
0:53:18 > 0:53:21'Another old friend - chimichurri!'
0:53:21 > 0:53:22Chop-chop or crush?
0:53:23 > 0:53:25'As Diego's customers would expect,
0:53:25 > 0:53:30'his sauce uses the freshest ingredients Mendoza can provide.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32- Oregano?- Oregano.- Si.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35'It's the gourmet version of the stuff
0:53:35 > 0:53:37'I had on the street in Buenos Aires.'
0:53:40 > 0:53:41Beautiful!
0:53:41 > 0:53:44'The time has come to see what I can really learn
0:53:44 > 0:53:46'from my Argentinian modern master.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52'And what I've got is a feast.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54'Things I'm familiar with prepared in ways
0:53:54 > 0:53:57'I've never experienced before.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02'A flatbread and tomatoes cooked directly on smouldering coals.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05'And the centrepiece, grass-fed rib eye steak,
0:54:05 > 0:54:09'not tossed quickly in a pan but roasted for an hour,
0:54:09 > 0:54:13'on the bone and over those same amazing coals.'
0:54:13 > 0:54:16- Thank you very much. A fantastic lesson.- OK, enjoy.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19Thank you very much indeed. I'm sorry you have to work.
0:54:19 > 0:54:20What a bloke.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Very annoying, great cook, really good looking,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25and looks like a rock star.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28I mean, really? All in one?
0:54:28 > 0:54:31'The question is how good is it?
0:54:31 > 0:54:34'Time for my shot at the ultimate beef experience.'
0:54:35 > 0:54:37The steak is tender.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40It tastes of grass, it tastes of fire, it tastes of smoke.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42It's just...
0:54:42 > 0:54:44delicious.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47I've come to this place to learn about the best steak cooked
0:54:47 > 0:54:51in the best possible way over the best fire and that's what I've got.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54It's about as good as it gets.
0:54:57 > 0:54:58Si.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04'My beef journey has come to an end.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08'But my trip's not quite over yet.'
0:55:16 > 0:55:20'Yesterday, everything I've learnt in Argentina came together.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26'As for today, all I've got to do is to hang out with a friend
0:55:26 > 0:55:28'at her birthday barbecue.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31'And after much contemplation about her present,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33'I've decided to get something at the last minute.'
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Let's go.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38'And so here I am. My last stop.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41'And there's the birthday girl.'
0:55:41 > 0:55:42Ah, happy birthday!
0:55:42 > 0:55:45- You're here!- How are you?
0:55:45 > 0:55:49- How you doing? Lovely to see you. - It's good to see you!
0:55:49 > 0:55:51So, look, I know I shouldn't bring wine for you,
0:55:51 > 0:55:54but, look, this wine I found on the side of the road.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57- Is it, oh, so it's not Australian? - No, no, it's not Australian.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58It's church wine.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00- Church wine?- Yes.
0:56:00 > 0:56:01- Oh, is that good?- It's church wine.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05'Slight faux pas but I'm still allowed to do some serving up.'
0:56:06 > 0:56:08How cool is this?
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Mata's birthday, sun's shining, meat on the grill.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13To you. Happy birthday!
0:56:13 > 0:56:15I'm so pleased you're here for my birthday.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I'm so pleased to be here. Chin-chin.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21- You brought me a bottle of wine for my birthday...- Yes.
0:56:21 > 0:56:22I got you something.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26- Oh, that's, oh, oh! - It's the gaucho knife.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Oh, oh, thank you!
0:56:30 > 0:56:32THEY LAUGH
0:56:32 > 0:56:36- It's not ready because it's blunt, as you can see.- Right.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41You now as a gaucho, that knows how to make an asado,
0:56:41 > 0:56:44you will have to sharpen it the way you like it.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46You know, I'm shaking, I honestly...
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Thank you so much, I feel...
0:56:48 > 0:56:51I mean this, I feel really honoured,
0:56:51 > 0:56:54I do, cos this country is like...
0:56:54 > 0:56:56It's just been such an enlightening place.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00You guys are so... No, seriously, you are so lovely,
0:57:00 > 0:57:04and to come and see you and to finish my journey here with you
0:57:04 > 0:57:06and get this to go away with...
0:57:06 > 0:57:09- Well, it's a simple present. - Thank you so much.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Happy... Happy bloody birthday!
0:57:12 > 0:57:13That's more like it.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24Argentina has been a surprise at every turn.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29That is an armadillo.
0:57:29 > 0:57:30Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:57:33 > 0:57:39And me and my mate, my truck, have done about 1,200 kilometres,
0:57:39 > 0:57:41and just loved every single minute of Argentina.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48I got grease on my hands, smoke all through my clothes,
0:57:48 > 0:57:50but I don't care.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53What you should do is let the world unravel round the outside of you
0:57:53 > 0:57:55and I am who I am, I do what I do.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59You know, John Torode is a bloke who cooks and is lucky enough
0:57:59 > 0:58:01to have driven across Argentina.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03I say, Argentina, I love you.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Next time, in France, top chef Monica Galetti
0:58:08 > 0:58:12searches for the origins of our favourite French produce.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15This is like a candy store.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18From the romance to the reality...
0:58:18 > 0:58:19It's running for its life.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22..she'll discover a world she'll never forget.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24I could do a bit more of this.