The corner has that unforgettable imprint. A wide facade of exposed brick worn by years and experience. This place was many things: a restaurant, a grocery store, a home for endless gatherings. Now, she is hosting a new project in San Antonio de Arecoinnovative in its content, but always with one foot in tradition. The first hit is the smell. As soon as you open the door, the cool air carries a mixture of scents announcing cuts that were matured long before this establishment opened its doors. Warm light defines the crowded rooms and the bar set in front of the pine floor reveals sausages being cooked in an unexpected cellar. Red pig It has something of a discovered rather than a created place: a space that gives a sense of being there, waiting for someone to reveal it.
But the story does not begin at this angle Alsina and VitNor in pork hung with old patience. It starts much earlier, in farms and sheds Guillermo Loveras and Alberto DeLorenzi They have spent years dedicated to pig genetics. A silent and precise activity that had long accustomed them to looking at meat from an angle that almost no one had looked at in Argentina. “We knew we had to lead the way in pork quality. In Argentina no one talks about it, and it is a central issue in the world“He talks about the market paying more for meat,” Lloveras recalls RFN – Pink, firm and non-exudative – Highly valued in Japan, Korea also ThailandConsumption is directed towards balanced, juicy cuts with well-distributed fats.
This contradiction with the local market was clear. While the industry focused on producing lean, efficient meat — tailored to processes, not taste — it was on the path to something different. “The meat production machine has been decoupled from consumer preferences“When people choose meat, they want a balance of flavour, juiciness, aroma and fat,” Leoferas explains. The gap between what is produced and what is desired has become a fixed idea. If this meat had not been present in the Argentine market, it would have been necessary to build it.
The first decision was to open a butcher shop in 2016 Arico. This was neither a desperate move nor an economic lifeline. “It was intended to add value and build stability“They were convinced that if people tried a different pork, they would choose it,” says De Lorenzi. “But it wasn’t just a sale: it was an education. New cuts, new ways of cooking, new textures. In a town full of cows — where many recommended against it — the proposition was almost counter-cultural.”
You succeeded. The butcher shop found its place and, inadvertently, began to attract the attention of the chefs Buenos Aires. The first was the curiosity of those looking for honest products, with a story behind them. Then came the verification they did not expect: Don Julio and Favorites They were interested in that meat. It was a turning point. They were called in to explain to the entire team – from the pachero to the last waiter – why this meat was different. “There is an understanding of the level of care they have. They explain where every olive, every oil, and every ice cream they serve comes from. This respect for the product gives you feedback“, says Lloveras, still amazed by the precision of these gastronomic projects.
The Buenos Aires experience gave them a new perspective. It wasn’t just about producing different meats: it was about building an origin story. To understand where everything came from and how it was calculated. At that time grilled meat did not appear as an isolated idea, but rather as a natural result. Lloveras and De Lorenzi have actually been shaped by genetics, an activity where Nothing happens quickly. Importing genetic material can take years; See tangible results, and even more. “In genetics, it is impossible to rush. Long times are part of our mental structure“They give examples that seem like a test of patience: Seven years To achieve import from Canada, Five years lost with SpainAnd two others to enable international veterinary certification. “We are trained to wait“, they say. In the field of canned foods, this training has found new territories.
Today, in Cerdo Rojo’s rooms, pork that matures between six and twelve months coexists with cuts that require between eighteen and twenty-four months. There’s no rush. “We want a product that is taken care of from the raw material through the process, almost like a piece of jewelry.“says Lloveras. The phrase is not eloquent: it precisely describes the way they work. Everything is done at a level of detail that makes the accumulated experience in genetic engineering, research and selection of animals visible.
They talk about a way to produce pork with identity, marbling, firmness and a kind of fat that accompanies the flavor rather than masking it. They are not looking for uniqueness: they want to replicate that standard. “Yes, Cerdo Rojo is a delicatessen, but the basic idea is to promote Duroc GP meat. “It’s a seal that other producers can use if they work with this technology package,” explains Leoviras. They imagine him in it Tucumanin Uncativanytime there are producers willing to conduct this research.
The temptation to imitate European models was present from the beginning, but was quickly eliminated. “It makes no sense to imitate Iberian ham. The honest thing is to see what’s going well in our area and tell that story“That area is like that,” De Lorenzi confirms Pampas plainwhich they define as “an area with little press,” as the majority of the country’s hogs are raised and fed with corn and soybeans that also come from here. This origin, far from being a limit, became his identity. A cross between European tradition and Creole culture, between ancestral saltiness and contemporary sensibility. A mix they compare to the music played in the building: National rocksome Folklorea certain modern pulse that does not stop with anything, but rather re-indicates everything.
The building, which required three years of work, accompanies that compass. It doesn’t look like a pub or a gourmet shop. It’s something else. A room where the product takes focus, a cool and silent underground cellar, non-invasive lighting. A space where you can buy in the “premium” format, choose the products and place them in the basket, or also grab a board and a knife to eat what you choose from the shelves there. Added to this is a short – and well thought out – list of plates and sandwiches worth exploring.
Among the most famous proposals is Don Segundoa generous plate for two combining salami, dry chorizo, mortadella, bondiola, tambo criollo, parmesan, eggplant, libre and olives. It is Old bridgewith cooked pork, loin, salami, raw ham, Sardinian and garnishes that balance it all. And for those who want to fully immerse themselves in home stamping, Red pig It’s an option that combines raw ham, spunata, bondiola, salami, dry chorizo, libre, and pickles.
Sandwiches, far from being a simple supplement, have the soul of the product that defines everything else. The raw pork – with butter and fresh bread – serves as a return to basics; This braised ham with tipo cheese, lettuce and tomato is a corrected version of the school classic. The loin with arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan and olives is one of the favorites, and the mortadella with stracciatella, pesto and arugula shows another potential record. Smokey bondiola appears with sweet and sour cucumber and Dijon mustard, and salami – Tipu cheese, lettuce and tomato – completes the series with a direct and effective balance.
Pickles deserve a separate mention. Pickled hot peppers, natural cucumbers, carrots, onions, eggplant and olives that act as accompaniments and as a sensory bridge with the pieces being cooked in the rooms.
All of this is not meant to build a sophisticated list, but rather a map: a way to access the product from different places. As if the genetics, upbringing and long time that defined Cerdo Rojo could also be translated into small, daily decisions.
In a context where the debate over pork imports is usually limited to numbers and warnings, they are choosing another approach. “Argentina produces ractopamine-free pigs and a type of meat that Brazil does not. “Instead of complaining about imports, we want to promote our meat seriously, according to RFN standards and real quality,” says Leoviras.
Red Pig does not come to occupy a void, but to replace an idea. The idea that pork is an accompaniment rather than a protagonist. That quality is a luxury, not a possible path. That time, in a country accustomed to emergencies, can be a tool rather than a liability.
The door opens again. Another breath of cold air, another mixture of smoke, salt and time. Outside, Ariko continues her slow pace. Inside, something began to move with deliberate slowness, like things done without haste, and with conviction and patience capable of changing the flavor of what is to come.
Alsina and Vit
AG: @cerdorojocharcuteria
Open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And from 5 p.m. Until 10 pm. Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to midnight.