Asador del Sur shines in Maplewood

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Entraña, beef skirt steak served over mashed potatoes

The skirt steak at Asador del Sur is the best piece of beef in town. Change my mind. 

A few dedicated restaurants have flourished while bringing South American fare to St. Louis’ dining scene, although many wither. The latest effort is a thoroughly delightful one, another star in the growing constellation of superior eateries in Maplewood. The husband-and-wife chef-owners are from Uruguay and Ecuador, respectively, but there’s half a dozen regional cuisines represented. The menu’s a veritable introductory course to them.

Hayacas, for example, are the elaborate Ecuadorean analogue to the Mexican tamale. They’re stuffed with chicken, peanut butter, olives, peppers, and eggs. (They’d include T-ravs if they could fit them.) Seriously, this distinctive take on tamales steamed in plantain leaves is a wonderful starter. Enjoy a magnificent, plump dark link of blood sausage, which is splendid, mild, almost a pâté, smeared on dry bread husks. Another starter is the tender sweetbreads. They are impossibly rich with a light char, and the serving is easily enough for four.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

raspberry lychee martini, pisco sour, Dulce De Leche Tini, Caipirinha

Asador (“spit-roasted”) is appropriate, given the place’s name. The meat has an Argentinean influence, grilled low and slow. Its taste is pure and simple, emphasizing the quality of the meat. Traditionally, the only seasoning is sal parrillera, a fairly coarse-grained salt that adheres to the meat as it grills. The char is absolutely perfect, the meat juicy and tender. This is the grilling of Argentinean gauchos, the pitmasters of South America with the same ethos as their Texas counterparts. A 24-ounce ribeye makes prime rib ordinary by comparison. Short ribs, tira de asado, up the game, with bone nubbins surrounded by meat that’s shimmering with beautiful fat. They’re flanken cut, across the bone similar to Korean-style ribs, exposing more of the meat’s grain to the grill and to marvelous effect. 

Either of these beef offerings alone would elevate Asador del Sur to a serious protein palace. What puts it over the top, however, is that skirt steak. It arrives folded over, too big for the plate, a humble cut transformed to an exquisite display of beef’s best qualities: tenderness, juiciness, flavor that’s as aromatic as it is tasty. Along with a side of sweet potato fries, the dish is a steak lover’s dream.

Chimichurri is particularly addictive here, with garlic, parsley, oregano; the grilled meats are so good that chimichurri seems like an afterthought, but it’s particularly delicious mixed into a mayo-based aioli and used as a dip for fried baby squid and accompanying some other dishes.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

alfajores, wafers surrounding dulce de leche, rolled in coconut flakes and topped with powdered sugar

Traditional sides are equally excellent. Tostone patties of squashed, fried plantain have the satisfying potatoey starchiness that goes well with the meat and enough crunch to make them as delectable as French fries. Maduros are dessert-sweet, fried ripe plantains with a gooey interior. Both these antojitos add to the appreciation of the dishes, as do mashed potatoes that are surprisingly rich, tasting more of butter than potato.

Tiger prawns served on a platter look like the giant offspring of lobsters and shrimp that fell in love, grilled and served with chimichurri. And there’s a succulent-looking lobster bisque that hasn’t any business in Antipodal-American cooking but appears here, we’re told, just because the chef likes it—and, from the reactions of those spooning it, she’s not alone. Skewers of grilled vegetables and fruit, pineapple rings, Portobello cups, sweet potatoes, and squash will satisfy any appetite.

Dessert might seem superfluous, but do not pass on the alfajores—crispy, powdered-sugar-dusted wafers sandwiching a luscious blob of dulce de leche.

A South American take on cocktails, such as a Dulce de Leche-tini, is inventive. A pisco sour is fueled with pineapple juice, and the house sangria is suitably fruit studded. Try any of the wines made with the Tannat grapes that are now dominating Uruguayan vineyards; they’re blended with some of their cousins and accentuate the soft, rich silkiness, which goes splendidly with the meats.

The space is relaxed, with small tables and a pleasant bar. Upstairs, it’s cozy. Outside, tables in an alley have a cool, European-style feel. The quality of ingredients, the deftness in preparations, capable service, and the absolute joy of such a display of cuisines all work together in a concert that adds much to the local dining scene. 

And that skirt steak? Yeah, not changing our mind.