I was invited along to an Argentinian street food masterclass at CAU in Henley-on-Thames to sample some of the speciality cuts of beef that their menu offers.

I took my boyfriend Stephen along to CAU (pronounced cow); one of a group of Buenos-Aires inspired restaurants. The latest branch opened up in Hart Street in December.

The restaurant is very attractive, with huge windows, an open kitchen and booth seating, with the walls decorated with blue sky and clouds and green grass. There’s also a lovely conservatory area, which was beautiful on the pleasant sunny evening that we visited.

With a glass of Malbec in hand, the Argentinean beef masterclass began. After an explanation from the chef – all the beef used at CAU comes from grass fed cows in the Pampas – we got to try Tira de Ancho, a spiral cut of rib-eye, marinated in chimichurri and grilled slowly.

Described as the king of steaks, the meat was beautifully seasoned, thick and incredibly tender and the chimichurri was a lovely accompaniment. Chimichurri sauce is different around the world but this one was filled with onions and herbs and was full of flavour.

Next up, we tried some Lomito, the fillet of rump. It’s regarded as the finest cut in Argentina and it’s not hard to see why; the meat was moist and succulent.

Then we moved onto the Asado de chorizo sirloin steak. Grilled in a churrasco marinade of smoked paprika, ají molido (chilli powder), garlic and parsley, this steak was the most seasoned of them all.

Some people were not keen on the churrasco as it’s got quite an earthy taste, but I thought it worked perfectly with the sirloin, but if you’re not a fan of parsley, this might not be the best steak for you as it was a very dominant flavour.

I was slightly sceptical about how the final cut would taste - Tapa de Cuadril, which some people call beef bacon due to its appearance. Cut from the top of the rump, the meat is thinly sliced and flash grilled.

I usually like my steak to be thick, but the flavour of the Tapa de Cuadril was incredible. The addition of the fat on the meat only added to the taste.  

In fact, we were so impressed with it, we both ordered it for our main course (£14.95 for 220g, £16.95 for 260g) after the masterclass was finished.  It absolutely melted in your mouth.

The steak comes with chips or salad – we chose chips and went for a side of onion rings. The onion rings were huge and the portions were more than adequate.

After an extensive amount of malbec, I decided to try their homemade lemonade (£2.50) with my main meal, which I highly recommend. It was lovely and refreshing for a warm evening - especially if you're driving.

If you're not, there's a range of exotic cocktails, beers, ciders and wine for you to try out.   

After our main, we sampled some of CAU’s famous empanadas. They have a range of flavours, including spinach, ricotta and date and spicy creamed corn and Taleggio cheese.

We decided to go for Spanish chorizo and cream cheese and spicy ground beef and onion (two for £7). The pastry was thick and flaky and the fillings were spicy and full of flavour. I definitely loved the beef and onion one the most and the fresh tomato sauce on the side was tangy.

Although they are steak experts, there isn’t just beef on the menu. Pepper crusted seared tuna steak (£15.25), grilled spatchcock chicken (£11.95) and twice cooked pork belly (£13.95) all feature on the menu, alongside vegetarian options and burgers.

It is undeniable that beef is their speciality though. The team at CAU are incredibly passionate about beef and they know exactly what to do to get the best out of the meat – even down to making sure the Argentinean cow fields are flat, so they don’t overwork their muscles which could make them tougher to eat.

We were so full from an inordinate amount of meat that we couldn’t find room for a dessert – but I’ll definitely be visiting again so I can try their cornflake ice cream sundae or their dulche de leche pancakes.

Vist www.caurestaurants.com to view the menu and book a table.