Beer chicken on a plough disc

What is chicken on a plough disc?

It is a very tasty recipe you will love. The disco is a tool typical of rural Argentine cooking. It is a piece of cookware a few centimetres deep, made from a plough disc of the kind used to work the land, with a welded steel plate that has two handles, plus a second disc that works as a lid, with a handle in the centre.

It is used to cook over firewood, although you can also use it on the burners of a traditional cooker or even in the oven. These discs can be used as planchas for churrascos (steaks), for making paellas or even for stews and braises.

It is a very practical and functional piece of cookware. It is less fiddly than the grill, needs little fire and everything comes out with a gentle flavour. There are many ways to cook this meat, which is rich in protein and low in fat, but the recipe we show you here is especially succulent. The quantities are for 6 people and the preparation takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• Homemade vegetable stock
• 1 cup of lager or dark beer
• Ground chilli or cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 0.5 kg onions
• 1 leek
• 1 kg medium potatoes
• 300 ml cream
• 1 red pepper
• Pepper (to taste)
• Paprika (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)

Method

1. First, heat the pan or plough disc you are going to cook in. Make sure it is the right size to cook the chicken properly and to add the potatoes you want at the end.
2. Cut the chicken into pieces and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add oil to the disc and, once it is hot, brown the meat on every side. When you have done this, take the meat out of the disc and set it aside.
4. Chop the vegetables you are going to use into pieces that are not too small: the garlic, onions, leek and red pepper. Add a little more oil and, once it is hot, fry them gently.
5. When the vegetables are done, add all the seasonings: the pepper, salt, ground chilli and paprika, together with the browned meat you set aside. Lastly, pour in the beer and let it reduce so the alcohol cooks off.
6. Add the vegetable stock until the meat is completely covered.
7. Cut the potatoes into irregular pieces. They should be neither too small nor too large.
8. Put the potatoes in an ovenproof dish with salt, pepper and rosemary and cook until golden.
9. Cook the meat for about 60 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so it does not dry out. To prevent this, add stock whenever it is needed.
10. Once it is cooked, add the cream (optional) and the golden potatoes from the oven. Mix everything well and cook for another 5 minutes so the flavours come together.
11. Now all that is left is to serve and enjoy.

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