Meat

Yes meat! In Argentina cow is king. Welcome to the land of asado…the ultimate in bar-b-q experience. I have attended asados in the past and they are a good time: people passing the time telling stories, sparring over philosophy, drinking wine, beer, or fernet and coke, and of course beef. There is always a pile of meat on the grill. The grill is not our typical American construction. It is a permanent cement structure built for grilling, not a Weber or a smoker, but brick and mortar. I can not come close to naming all the parts of the cow that are consumed during a large banquet style asado. I for one am not afraid to try new things. You are looking at a guy who ate brains in Budapest and guinea pig in Peru. I can however tell you that I do not enjoy eating organs. I am not ok with eating intestines, heart, stomach, and kidneys. I have tried them and have yet to say mmmm delicious, followed by the question ¨What was that?¨ only to be told that I had just consumed roasted cow lung. So, during the meal I opt out of organs and indulge in the scrumptious deliciousness of all other parts of the cow.

We were sitting around the table at Seba´s brother’s house about 15 miles outside the city. The kids were running around the yard, the soccer game was on in the background, the dogs were sniffing the ground for any dropped morsels and I asked, ¨What is that?¨ Seba responded, ¨Rincon.¨ I did not know what that was, but after a brief discussion with descriptions such as ´the part that filters´ and ´associated with alcohol´ I came to the conclusion that it was kidney. I looked over at the winter’s worth of muck, debris, and insects in the pool and decided that eating the filter would not be a good idea. I passed.

Not only is meat prevalent at the famed asado, but at virtually all times. While in the states I rarely ate meat, not that I don’t like it but I choose veggies over beef. In the last week and a half I have easily consumed 20 meat based meals, probably more than I have in the last year. Vegetables are not a focal point. I am now adjusting to the dietary rhythm of life. It is a necessity, but I still need more veggies than are traditionally available. I have taken to stocking the kitchen with fruit for breakfast and I sneak a carrot or a pepper during the day.

I walked into the house last Saturday for lunch and everyone was already at the table eating sausages and ribs. Alone on my plate lay two solitary carrots, Seba turned to me and smiled and said, ¨Almuerzo.¨ Very funny, please pass the meat.