There are dishes that don’t require much effort to impress. Asado is exactly one of them - all it needs is a loving massage with the right sauce and a few good hours in the oven. The asado practically cooks itself, absorbing all the flavors. When paired with a sweet maple sauce layered with deep spices, it creates a combination of sweet, spicy, salty, and fatty that melts in your mouth. A celebration of flavors in every bite.
Asado is a cut made for a smoker, but in the average Israeli home you’ll usually find a grill rather than a smoker. After all, this is Israel, not Texas. So I asked myself whether it’s possible to get close to those smoky flavors without special equipment. I concluded that the answer is yes: I created a maple-based sauce that caramelizes the asado and gives it a flavor that’s hard to put into words. A tender, juicy, and addictive cut. This is a dish that has earned plenty of compliments, and I invite you to impress your guests or family with it. With Independence Day approaching, you’ll also find a method for preparing asado on a grill later in the article.
The magic behind the food
Asado is a cut rich in fat and connective tissue made of collagen. During slow cooking, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, which is what gives the meat its tender, juicy texture. That’s why when slicing the asado you may sometimes see small white pieces - there’s no need to worry, it’s simply the gelatin formed during the process.
So why maple? Maple caramelizes at high heat, helping create a crispy, rich outer layer. When you add some heat as well, you get a sticky, crispy glaze with a perfectly balanced, addictive flavor.
Asado in the Oven with Maple Sauce – serves about 8 people
Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 3.5 hours in the oven
Type of dish: Meat
Calories: Approximately 200 calories per medium slice
Ingredients for the marinade
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 10 drops Tabasco (regular or smoked)
• 1 tablespoon silan (date syrup)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Additional ingredients
• 1 kg asado (boneless)
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 potatoes
• 2 fennel bulbs
• 10 garlic cloves
• 4 white onions
• 3 carrots
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl until uniform.
3. Place the asado in a baking dish and massage thoroughly with the marinade on all sides.
4. Wash and roughly chop all the vegetables.
5. Arrange the vegetables around the meat.
6. Place the dish in the oven for 25 minutes.
7. Remove the dish and cover with parchment paper and then foil.
8. Lower the oven temperature to 160°C and return to the oven for 3 hours until fully tender.
9. Slice and enjoy every bite.
Preparation over coals
1. It’s recommended to start preparing the asado first if you have time between securing a spot in the park and your guests’ arrival, since cooking asado over coals also takes a long time.
2. Light the grill 20 minutes before placing the meat and wait for the flames to die down.
3. Massage the meat with the marinade.
4. Place the cut on the grill and sear for 10 minutes on each side.
5. Remove the meat and wrap it in parchment paper and foil.
6. Return the wrapped meat to the grill for at least 2 hours.
Esther’s tip
For a perfect finish, it’s recommended to brush the meat with a glaze made of 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon silan, then return it to the oven uncovered for another 5 minutes to achieve a sticky, glossy finish that greatly enhances the flavor.
An interesting fact about this popular meat
The word “asado” comes from Spanish and is not actually the name of a specific cut, but rather a method of cooking meat slowly over coals. In Israel, the name “asado” has become a generic term for cuts such as short ribs (kashtit), spare ribs (shpondra), and sometimes even cut number 9.