In my previous post, I described our recent trip to Uruguay and indoctrination into parrilla culture.
Parrilla (pronounced, pah-REE-juh) refers to meats, sausages, and veggies grilled over a hardwood fire. Indeed, parrilla in Uruguay is not just yummy AF. It’s also (often) an hours-long social event.
Upon our return to the US, I vowed to bring that same joyful Uruguayan parrilla magic into our Texas backyard. The question was, “How?”
I started by looking into pre-fabricated stone parrilla grills, much like the ones I saw in Montevideo. Very expensive. Like, thousands of dollars expensive.
Then I looked into having a stone mason fabricate one for me. Same issue, but worse. I’d not only need to shell out a couple grand, but I’d also have to micromanage a tradesperson. I’m too old for that shit.
So I thought about building one myself. That uber-indulgent fantasy lasted about thirty seconds (i.e., the exact amount of time it took for my wife to stop laughing).
I looked into portable pre-fab metal grills that incorporated the important functional elements of Uruguayan or Argentine parrillas. Even those elicited acute sticker shock, and some of them looked like tinny junk.
Then an idea hit me. I have a 22″ Weber kettle grill that I love and works great for charcoal grilling. With a tweak here and a tweak there, could my Weber kettle be retrofitted to become an Americanized, yet still abundantly kick ass, wood-burning Uruguayan parrilla?
Forty minutes of Internet surfing later, I stumbled upon an outfit called Ash & Ember that sells products for backyard grilling–many of which are inspired by South American parrillas. And there it was! The Holy Grail that I had been searching for.
The Ash & Ember Santa Maria Attachment for 22″ kettle grills! And it cost less than $200, FFS!!!
It all made sense, conceptually. A Weber kettle grill–despite being designed for charcoal grilling–is a perfectly functional vessel for building a hardwood fire. There is sufficient space for a pile of logs. The adjustable air vents at the bottom of the kettle allow plenty of airflow to fuel the fire. And it is very well constructed, allowing for a safe-ish and stable fire hazard. So…why don’t more people chuck aside the Kingsford briquettes in favor of a 100% hardwood fire that would give a slab of four-legged protein that irresistible South American, smoke-kissed flavor?
The answer is that it would be hard to manage a hardwood fire in a Weber grill because the cooking grate is not adjustable. And that is precisely why the Santa Maria attachment is a godsend.
The key characteristic of a Santa Maria grill is that the cooking grate is attached to a wheel and pulley system and can easily be raised or lowered as the cook requires. Drop it down close to the fire for a good, crusty, high-heat sear. Raise it up to allow thicker hunks of meat to roast more slowly and gently until the ideal internal temperature is hit. Conceptually (again), I saw no reason why a Santa Maria-outfitted Weber kettle wouldn’t/couldn’t/shouldn’t replicate the Uruguayan parrilla experience.
So I bought one. Because, of course I did.
And I am happy to report that in this case, reality met–dare I say, exceeded–the concept. It worked beautifully. Here are the details.
The Weber kettle has two grates: a lower grate for the fuel, and an upper grate for the food. Remove the upper grate and toss it into the shed. You don’t need it for this configuration.
Next step, fully open the adjustable vents at the bottom of the kettle to maximize air flow around the fuel.
Now for the fuel. I start with two starter cubes placed on the lower grate. Then I take two hardwood logs (I use oak or any fruit or nut tree) and lay them parallel to the starter cubes. Then take a long, thinner log or piece of kindling and lay it perpendicularly across the two bottom logs. This is the support beam for your teepee of kindling. Then take a bunch of kindling and build the teepee. Then lay a few more logs around the teepee, again allowing enough space for air flow. The set-up looks something like in the photo below.
Place the Santa Maria attachment onto the kettle. It will fit snugly into place.
And now…time to fire that shit up!
Light those starter cubes and let the magic begin. Assuming your wood is sufficiently dry and cured, you should have a blazing fire in no time. Now comes the hard part. Waiting.
That fire needs to be left alone for 45 minutes to an hour until the wood starts breaking down, is ashed over, and is wicked hot yet no longer spewing flames. You don’t want flames licking your meat (no pun intended…well, maybe a little intended). Flames will burn the meat and leave an acrid taste, contrary to what Burger King would have us believe. So be patient and don’t jump the gun. Scroll to the top of this post and see the first photo as an example of the state of fuel that we are shooting for.
When the time is right and the embers perfect, add the meat. Depending on your preferred technique, you can start with the grate closer to the fuel for a crusty, high-heat, direct sear and then raise the grate for slower and more controlled roasting. Or you can do a “reverse sear,” which means starting with the grate up high until the meat almost reaches the desired internal temperature–then lower the grate to finish with a good, crusty, tasty sear.
And that’s it. How well you manage the fire and grate level will determine the perfection of your finished product. That finished product will have a smokier flavor and aroma than you’d get by using charcoal or propane.
And that, mis amigos, is what makes the Uruguayan parrilla muy especial.
