Pollo al Disco

A 20th-century Argentine and Uruguayan rural-cooking form, originating with Pampas farmworkers who repurposed worn-out plough discs (discos de arado) as cooking vessels in the field. The pollo version became the most common, but discos are also used for goat, pork, or seafood. It's specifically a campo (countryside) dish, eaten in groups outdoors, and only crossed into urban restaurants in the late 20th century.

20th-century rural cooking from Argentine and Uruguayan campo, where farmworkers repurposed worn-out plough discs (discos de arado) as cooking vessels. The disc is wider than tall, so liquid evaporates fast and the sauce reduces while the chicken is still cooking.

A bone-in chicken stew cooked outdoors in a shallow concave steel disc — literally a repurposed plough disc — set over a wood fire. Chicken pieces are seared first against the hot metal, then simmered down with onion, bell pepper, tomato, white wine, herbs. The dish stays in the disc on the table; everyone serves themselves with a ladle. The chicken should fall off the bone.

The disc shape isn't decorative: it's wider than tall, so liquid evaporates fast and the sauce reduces while the chicken is still cooking, concentrating flavor without overcooking the meat. Cast steel holds enough heat to sear well even outdoors in wind. A regular Dutch oven is too tall and traps steam, leaving the chicken poached rather than browned.