Senor BBQ Founder Hernan Palacio Shares The Secrets Of The Smoke

Edinburgh Castle Hotel's weekly cross-cultural knees-up, Let Them Eat Baklava, is turning the Brunswick watering hole into a hub of international beats and South American meats. With a red-hot roll call of DJ talent on offer every Sunday, curated by DJ Mondo Loco (aka Serhan Ali), as well as chargrilled deliciousness courtesy of Argentinian meat masters Senor BBQ, it's the perfect place to round out your weekend. We caught up with Senor BBQ owner Hernan Palacio to learn the secrets of the smoke.

What's the difference between your common or garden backyard barbie and the Argentinian BBQ?

There's a big difference! We are famous for the way we cook the meat and the secret of that is that we use charcoal and time. You need patience to get the meat just right - it's no good trying to rush it. The cuts that we use that are best for cooking slowly — it has to be butchered in a very particular way to get the full flavour of the meat out. Particularly when you're cooking meat with bones, like ribs. They are cut so the marrow can come out and add an extra richness to the flavour.

You're obviously very passionate about this kind of cooking...

Well, I love fire - you really have to like fire to work with a BBQ! I think there's something very significant about fire. Lighting a fire and gathering around it is like an ancient ritual. Our ancestors did that, that was how they developed their culture, their community, and it's the same when we cook on the BBQ. It takes a couple of hours for the meat to cook and so the BBQ becomes a focal point for people to meet and share - it is an event in itself.

So, loving fire is key, but having a good relationship with your butcher must be important too?

It's fundamental! I have been in business for ten years and from the beginning I've always worked with the same butcher. They are from an Italian and Greek background but have family in Argentina, so they understand what we need; they give us the best cuts for an authentic Argentinian taste. They are also a family business like Senor BBQ, so they understand how much pride we take in what we do and how important quality and consistency are.

Australia has its own BBQ culture, but what does the BBQ mean to Argentinians?

To give you an example, the word "asado": it's the name of the traditional fire pit, but you can also be invited to an asado, and the most popular cut of meat is also called asado. All these things use the same word because the food, and the way it's cooked and the event of cooking it, are all connected and part of this culture of gathering around a fire. For me and my team, the opportunity to share cultures and bring something authentically Argentinian to Let Them Eat Baklava is the main reason why I'm there.