Francis Mallman’s Top Grilling Tools & Techniques
Renowned Argentine chef Francis Mallmann is an expert at cooking with fire: over it, under it, in it and around it. Here, some of his top tools and techniques.
Plus: Gaucho Grilling with Francis Mallman
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Chapa A flat piece of cast iron (like a griddle) set over a fire. Great for cooking all kinds of foods, from steak to cheese.
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Parrilla A cast-iron grate that’s set directly over hot coals. Great for all-purpose grilling.
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Caldero A cast-iron kettle or Dutch oven that can be set right into a fire. Best for soups, stews and anything that can be fried in oil.
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Horno de barro A wood-burning clay oven that can be heated to 1,000 degrees. Best for breads, pizzas and anything else that can be baked or roasted.
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Rescoldo A cooking method in which ingredients are buried in hot embers and ashes. Best for whole vegetables, like onions and bell peppers.
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Asador A method of slow-cooking whole animals—pigs, lambs, goats—by fastening them to an iron cross and setting them near a very hot bonfire.
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Infiernillo An Incan method Mallmann adapted that involves a cast-iron contraption with three tiers. He builds a fire on the bottom and another on the top, then sets the food (often encased in a salt crust) in the middle. Best for large cuts of meat and poultry or whole fish.
