Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 4.0Asado a la estaca
Whole rib racks and large cuts skewered on stakes beside the fire: the Misiones tradition.
What it is
Instead of a grill, the meat is skewered on stakes driven into the ground and angled toward a wood fire, roasting for hours in the side heat. It comes out golden, smoky and very juicy. This is how the ranches of the south cook, especially in the department of Misiones, and it is served with cassava, sopa paraguaya or chipa guasu. It takes time and patience: this is celebration food.
Ingredients
History
It is a legacy of ranch life and of cattle drovers who cooked in the open. In Misiones it remains an emblem: the town of Santiago holds the Misiones Tradition Festival, with asado a la estaca and cowboy traditions, and several Asunción restaurants specializing in Misiones cooking make it their signature.
Did you know…?
La Finca Misionera in Asunción serves it “in true Misiones style,” along with chastaca, batiburrillo and chorizo sanjuanino.
When
Country festivals, Sundays and big celebrations.
Where
Misiones (Santiago, San Juan Bautista, San Ignacio); La Finca Misionera in Asunción.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.