I have been to a great many asados across South America, and the Paraguayan version is the one that stays in my mind. The Argentinian asado is theatrical — the asador moves with a kind of practised showmanship, the cuts arrive in a precise sequence, the wine is held up to the light, the chimichurri is debated like a constitution. The Uruguayan version is its slightly more relaxed cousin. The Brazilian rodízio is fast, loud and infinitely renewable. The Paraguayan asado, by contrast, is quiet. People talk less. The cook tends the fire alone for hours. The drink — ice-cold tereré shared from a single cup — passes around the table slowly. There is no rush.
And the food itself is built around patience. The meat sits well away from the heat for three or four hours, basted only with salt water (salmuera), so it cooks more by smoke and radiation than by direct fire. The sides — sopa paraguaya, chipa Guazu, boiled mandioca — are heavy, comforting and built for slow eating. By the time the asado is fully assembled, it is no longer just a meal. It is an afternoon. This guide is for anyone in Dubai who wants to understand it — or, given enough villa space and a charcoal grill, recreate it.
The Paraguayan Asado, Decoded
At its heart, an asado is just a fire, some meat and the people who gather around them. But every South American country has shaped this elemental idea differently. Here is how Paraguay does it.
The Heat
Hardwood charcoal — ideally quebracho or algarrobo — built into a bed of glowing embers in a parrilla (the brick or steel grill). The meat is set on a grate placed well above the embers, not directly on the heat. Cooking is by radiation and smoke, not searing.
The Cuts
Tira de asado (cross-cut short ribs) is the centrepiece. Costillares (whole beef rib racks) at bigger gatherings. Vacío (flank), matambre (rose meat), pork ribs and chorizo round out the table. Cuts are larger and slower-cooking than Argentinian asado.
The Baste
Salmuera — a simple brine of coarse salt dissolved in warm water, occasionally with a bay leaf and a few garlic cloves. Brushed onto the meat with a sprig of rosemary or laurel branch every 20 minutes during cooking. No marinade. No spice rub. No sauce.
The Pace
3 to 4 hours for a full asado. The asador (the cook) tends the fire alone. Guests arrive when the meat is around 2 hours in, sip tereré, eat the chipa and sopa paraguaya, and wait. The first slice off the grill is a moment of small ceremony.
The Sides
Sopa paraguaya (the cornbread-soup), chipa Guazu (the corn-kernel version), boiled mandioca with chimichurri-style oil, and ensalada rusa (Russian potato salad). The carb load is heavy — sopa paraguaya alone is filling. No rice; no bread.
The Drink
Tereré — cold mate steeped with crushed medicinal herbs (menta, cedrón, kokú) in iced water, served from a guampa cup with a metal bombilla straw. The cup is passed around the table; everyone shares. No wine, no beer for the traditionalists.
Recreating a Paraguayan Asado in Dubai
1. The Setup
You need outdoor space with charcoal allowed — a villa rather than an apartment balcony. The ideal is a parrilla-style grill, but a generous kettle barbecue (Weber 57cm) configured for indirect cooking works. The key feature: a deep bed of embers on one side, meat on the other, lid closed for smoke retention. Avoid gas — the entire flavour comes from charcoal smoke.
2. The Charcoal
Lumpwood hardwood charcoal — never briquettes (which contain binders that taint the meat). In Dubai, Spinneys carries "Big K" Argentinian quebracho charcoal which is exactly the right product for South American asado. Carrefour has cheaper Indonesian coconut-shell lumpwood which is acceptable but burns hotter and faster than ideal. You will need around 3kg for a 4-hour cook serving 8 people.
3. The Meat
For a Paraguayan-style asado serving 8 people, aim for around 4–5kg of total meat across the cooking session:
- 2kg short ribs (tira de asado) — ask the Spinneys butcher to cut bone-in flanken style, 2cm thick. AED 110–140/kg.
- 1kg ribeye or sirloin — cut into 2 large steaks (don't slice thin). AED 180–220/kg for grain-fed.
- 1kg pork ribs (if your group eats pork) — or substitute with extra beef short rib for halal-only gatherings. AED 65–90/kg.
- 4–6 chorizo sausages — the Spinneys Latin Section carries Argentine-style chorizo at AED 18–24 each. These cook quickly (20 minutes) and are the "starter" course of the asado.
4. The Cook
Light charcoal an hour before guests arrive. Once embers are glowing and white-grey on top, push to one side. Start with chorizo on the cooler side, 20–25 minutes turning twice. As chorizo comes off, place pork ribs on (90 minutes). Half an hour into the pork, add the short ribs — bone side down first, 60–75 minutes total, basted with salmuera every 15 minutes. The ribeye/sirloin steaks go on last, sliced thick and only 5–6 minutes per side over slightly hotter heat. Slice everything across the grain and serve in waves over an hour or so rather than all at once.
5. The Sides
Sopa paraguaya is non-negotiable. Make a 20x30cm tray using our recipe the morning of the asado — it holds up for 6 hours at room temperature. Boil 1kg of cassava root (Carrefour fresh produce section, AED 14–18/kg) for 25 minutes until fork-tender, then dress with a chimichurri-style oil-vinegar-garlic-parsley mixture. A simple potato-and-pea Russian salad with mayonnaise rounds out the table.
6. The Tereré
Yerba mate is available at Spinneys (Cruz de Malta brand, AED 22–28). Fill a guampa cup (or any cup with a metal straw) two-thirds with yerba mate. In a separate thermos, mix 1L of iced water with juice of 2 lemons, a handful of fresh mint, and a pinch of crushed lemongrass (the closest Dubai substitute for the Paraguayan cedrón). Pour the cold infusion onto the mate, sip through the bombilla, refill, pass to the next person. The cup keeps moving around the table for the entire 3-hour asado.
Paraguayan Asado in Dubai: Where to Try It
Paraguayan Independence Day Asado
14–15 May annually · Private location variesThe single best chance to attend a real Paraguayan asado in Dubai. The small Paraguayan expat community organises an open-invitation asado around 14–15 May (Paraguay's two independence days). It is announced through Latin American Facebook groups roughly 3–4 weeks in advance. Typically a contribution of AED 100–150 per person covers food and tereré.
Asado Argentinian Steakhouse (Closest Restaurant Equivalent)
Palace Downtown Dubai · AED 350–700ppAsado at The Palace Downtown is Dubai's best Argentinian-style asado — not Paraguayan, but the closest restaurant experience. The cuts (tira de asado AED 165, bife de chorizo AED 245) and parrilla cooking method overlap with Paraguayan tradition. What you miss: the sopa paraguaya side, the tereré, the slower pace, the cornbread carbs. Read our full Asado review →
DIY Villa Asado (Most Authentic)
Mirdif / Ranches / Meadows · AED 110–160pp ingredientsIf you have access to a villa with outdoor space, this is the right move. Ingredient cost per person is around AED 110–160 for a generous spread. Total prep + cook time is 5–6 hours. The result is structurally a real Paraguayan asado — with one important caveat: the meat in Paraguay is grass-fed Pampas beef, which has a different flavour profile to the grain-fed beef commonly available in Dubai. For closest authenticity, source grass-fed Australian or New Zealand beef.
South American Asado Traditions Compared
Explore More Paraguayan & South American Grill Culture
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do a Paraguayan asado on a Dubai apartment balcony?
Practically, no. Charcoal is generally not permitted in Dubai apartments — both for fire safety reasons and because most building management bodies prohibit it. A small electric grill on a balcony will produce something edible but it will not be an asado — the entire flavour identity depends on charcoal smoke. If you live in an apartment, the better moves are (1) renting a villa for the day, (2) booking the rooftop grill at the Address Beach Resort which can be reserved for private asado parties, or (3) attending the annual Paraguayan independence day community asado.
What is the difference between asado and barbecue?
American barbecue typically means low-and-slow smoking of larger cuts (brisket, pork shoulder, ribs) over 8–14 hours at 100–130°C, often with spice rubs and finishing sauces. South American asado is grilling over hardwood charcoal at higher temperatures (180–220°C) for shorter times (1–4 hours), usually with no marinade and only a salt brine. Asado meat is closer in texture to a roast or steak; barbecue meat falls apart. They are different cuisines, not regional dialects of the same thing.
How much beef should I plan per person?
Paraguayan asados are famously generous. The traditional ratio is roughly 500–600g of meat per adult, total, across all the cuts. This sounds excessive but bear in mind that the asado lasts 3–4 hours and people graze rather than eating in one sitting. For 8 adults, plan 4–5kg total. For tighter budgets or smaller appetites, 350–400g per person is the lower limit.
Is asado halal-compatible?
Yes — beef-only asados (no pork ribs, no chorizo) are completely halal-compatible. All Dubai supermarkets sell halal-certified beef. The traditional pork chorizo can be substituted with beef merguez or a beef-based chorizo (Spinneys carries both). The wine pairing can be replaced with sparkling grape juice or pomegranate juice. The essential elements — charcoal, slow heat, salmuera baste, sopa paraguaya, tereré — are all halal.
