Text: Lisa van der Knaap. Photographs: Graeme Wyllie. Article from the July 2013 issue of Food and Home Entertaining Magazine.
Cooking on open flames is huge at the moment – luckily for us, two young South American guys have taken this trend to a whole new level of deliciousness.
For Argentinian Bernardo Corti and Uruguayan Oscar Faraldo, it wasn’t just their South American roots that brought them together – it was their shared passion for food. “The first time I went to Market on Main in Joburg and saw Japanese, Mexican and African food, I thought the market could do with some South American flavour too, so I got a stall,” explains Bernardo. He then met Oscar and they decided to go into business together.
Having started at Market on Main, their popularity has grown and they now have a stall at Neighbourgoods Market too, selling street food straight off their parrilla (open fire) grill. Their version of a mixed braai is a parillada, including meats like asado de tira (grilled beef ribs), vacio (flank), chorizo, pamplona (stuffed chicken breasts), and bondiola (pork neck).
“South Africans love to braai but, unlike the meat most people use at home, our Argentinian cuts like short rib and flank – plus our traditional recipes – pack a real tasty punch. We cook the meat simply with salt and add chimichurri [sauce] afterwards if it needs it,” says Oscar. The result is delicious, juicy meat that’s loaded with flavour. People love their food so much that Oscar and Bernardo now also do catering.
“We love meeting people who have travelled and who are completely wowed by our food,” they add. “We also really like the vibe and energy at the market, and we’d love to have a pop-up restaurant soon.”
Call 078 604 9144 or 082 469 0290 or email parrilladaonmain@gmail.com.
Chimichurri
Makes 1 cup EASY 15 mins
250ml (1 cup) firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
10ml (2 tsp) dried oregano
15ml (1 tbsp) coarse paprika
5ml (1 tsp) sea salt
2,5ml (1/2 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
30ml (2 tbsp) red or white wine vinegar
1. Finely chop the parsley and garlic. Place in a small bowl and add the oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar, adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.
Cook’s tip
By adding olive oil and vinegar it can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
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