A small contribution: if you like beef, go to an argentine butcher (at least in U.S. there are many) and ask him for a piece called BIFE DE CHORIZO (it's like T-bone but cut in another way, without the bone), about 2 inches thick. This is the star of the argentine meat, even when the cattle is not from the argentine pampas. Trim fat, cook beef at the bar-b-q carefully avoiding direct flame, always use wood charcoal, first close to the heat to obtain a brownish surface by both sides, then more slowly and not so close, to keep juices inside the crust. Add salt at the first heating. Burn two or three $5.- beefs until you get the exact point, but never cut the beef "to see if it is cooked" because it ruins the poor thing.

And if you come to Argentina, you may be disappointed by those country restaurants where they serve "asado criollo" because you will be served half meat and half fat, this is the way that traditional gaucho cooks: natural juice lost, tons of greasy taste and 2 inches of fat. "Achuras" are the most incredible internal organs, guaranteed cholesterol-full. You may ask for a cup of detergent in place of wine, it will go better.

Instead, try fine restaurants in downtown or the less expensive small restaurants at Montevideo and Sarmiento streets in Buenos Aires. When asked how you prefer it, "bien cocido" is brown, almost dry; "medio" is brown-red and very juicy, "a punto" is reddish, and "semi crudo" is raw meat.

For the wine, you have an enormous variety (this is a wine-exporter country), but if you want a not very expensive and marvelous wine, ask for Don Valentin Lacrado. Best regards - escamillo@ciudad.com.ar