In Uruguay/Argentina they insist that it's not a BBQ and that their 'asados' are something distinct and tbh there is something special about them, but I can't put my finger on what. It could be the quality of the meat, I dunno. Uruguayan meat is among the best quality in the world, but actually most of their best stuff gets exported because its too expensive to stay in the country. But even the stuff that stays behind is off the absolute scale. The thing is it's weird because the general standard of food in like restaurants etc is kinda shit, but the quality of the meat and the technique they use to cook it slowly on a grill plus friends plus alcohol plus Uruguay is just a magic combo somehow.
It's their standard social event. They tend to last for hours and hours, and are either early ones starting at like noon, an evening one starting at like 8 or a late one starting maybe at midnight. I actually stopped eating meat while I lived there and used to bring veg for the the grill and got the absolute pisss ripped outta me every time

It was like being in a protestant family in the 1800s and marrying a Catholic lol.
It was funny also that everybody who ripped me hardest would swarm over and eat all my food when it came off the grill. I used to say they were vegans without the balls to come out the closet in Uruguay lol
Damn writing this out has me homesick for Uruguay. The absolute friendliest people and such a chill country in general. It's one of those places that's better to live in than visit but even so it's a shame it gets so overlooked. Plus they're all ridiculously good looking, but then as a Scot my point of reference is a bit skewed