‘Asado’ events bring Latin culinary culture to St. Augustine

Urban Asado and the St. Augustine Chefs Collaborative demonstrate open flame grilling

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Once a month in St. Augustine, Florida, wood fire grill company Urban Asado and the St. Augustine Chefs Collaborative invite the community for a grilling exhibition, showcasing the featured chefs’ creative cuisines. A rainy Sunday on June 8 marked the fourth official “Sunday Asado” where six local chefs were invited by Urban Asado owner Nick Carrera to grill up some unique creations at his warehouse and wow the guests. And wow them, they did. 

“Most people don’t get to see the chefs in action in their kitchens, let alone working with fire,” Nick Carrera said. “So we thought it was a cool way to put on a show and give off a community-type feel of what we do.”

“Asado” is the Spanish term for a cook-out. Asados are thrown all over Latin America as a way to enjoy delicious grilled meals while socializing within the community. Carrera wants to bring that warm, communal feeling to St. Augustine. 

“We like to connect people to what this style of grilling really is,” Carrera said. “We’re giving everybody a chance to socialize and interact, not just sit down and have a bunch of food immediately cooked in front of you in one shot. It keeps everyone talking, laughing, you know, mingling around.”

While guests socialized and explored the warehouse, Chefs Jody Petronella, Dustin Dailey, Natanja de Beers, Sebastian Sikura, Michael Lugo and Deanna Stephens set up their grilling stations, chatted with nearby guests and cooked up some vibrant and flavorful samples.

“We’ve got some excellent beef, some chorizo, chicken legs,” Chef Jody Petronella from the Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room listed as he grilled up his dish for his first Sunday Asado. “We can also bring in things to supplement whatever we want.” 

In Petronella’s case, he opted for bananas and pineapple to add some sweetness and flavor.

Stationed beside Chef Petronella was another first timer, Elkhouse Eatery’s Chef Dustin Dailey, who chose to grill a more savory snack. 

“I’m doing a fire-grilled naan bread with herbs,” Chef Dailey said. “Topped with chicken, chorizo, fresh garden succotash, a little chimichurri and a little fresh basil from my garden.” 

Dailey’s basil wasn’t the only local product used. Morrison Tomato Farms, Ben Wells Produce and Inland Seafood all have collaborated with these chefs in one way or another and contributed to the asado with their natural and locally grown ingredients. 

Chef Dailey sprinkled the final ingredients to the sample plates as a hungry crowd lined up by his and Petronella’s station, ready to pounce at the first sign of a green light. 

From wagyu to scallops, cucumber salads to pork belly tacos, naan bread topped with chicken and chorizo, to Brazilian cheese puffs, topped with locally farmed peppers, chimichurri and patilla cheese, these chefs provided an array of samples to satisfy any palette. 

“If you put these on the floor, I would lick them off the floor,” a guest said to Chef Natanja de Beers about her cheese puffs. 

Chef de Beers works at Blackfly The Restaurant in St. Augustine, alongside her colleague Chef Connie Delano, who joined the asado that Sunday. 

“It’s fun!,” de Beers answered when asked about her experience today. “Part of cooking is adapting to your environment, in this case, it’s the rain, but there’s always a silver lining. At least we’re not dealing with excessive heat.”

This was de Beers’s second appearance at a Sunday Asado and her and Delano’s first time showcasing their talent together.  

Although Sunday Asados are an opportunity for chefs to show off their cuisine, that’s not why Carrera created this event. Despite all the ego and competition, what really leaves Carerra and the crowd marvelling are the samples served and the bonds created between the chefs, guests and community. 

“We have amazingly talented chefs in this area,” he said. “And what’s even more amazing than the talent level is the camaraderie and the collaboration between them. Yes, they always want to be better, but they’re willing to work with each other to make each other better. THAT’s what’s super cool about this. So yeah, it’s really a fun show to watch.” 

Out of all the complex ingredients and intricate dishes, when asked what Carrera’s favorite thing to grill was, his answer was unexpected for a grillmaster such as himself. 

“Our most fun dish to do is provoleta,” he said. “It’s just grilled provolone cheese. That’s literally all it is, is cheese. It’s just a fun thing. People are so surprised by it. So simple.”

Find out about the next Sunday Asado at Urban Asado’s Instagram, @UrbanAsado.