THE ASADO

Meat

            It was only a matter of time before I returned to my favorite topic: food. - So without further adieu here it is.

           

A few posts ago I talked about food and some of the items I have been missing during my time in Chile.  Things like peanut butter and Thai food unfortunately don’t grow on trees like the avocados down here.  A food they do right down here, however, is the Asado.  This Chilean barbeque has many familiar aspects such as hot coals and sizzling meats that are common in the States.  The Asado however has a few twists that tantalizingly take one’s taste buds to new heights.    

             

Goat

One wonderful aspect of the Chilean culture is the hospitality and sense of family one can feel with friends.  People invite you over to their house and eat and drink while you stand around the grill talking.  My first night in Talca for example I traveled 20 minutes to a house in the middle of vineyard and was welcomed with open arms to my host brother’s friends house.  He cooked an amazing assortment of fresh meat, loaded with the perfect amount of salt.  He threw in some potatoes, corn, and a salad with some fresh Cherky (Jerkey) on the side and I was in heaven.

The next two weekends we ventured an hour East to another house in the mountain where my host brother and his friends ride motorcycles.  Here they rotisserie(d) a lamb one weekend and grilled some fresh goat (1 hour fresh I might add) the next.  We all stood around the meat with a pocketknife out waiting to slice the sizzling food.  We were gnawing on meat in one hand, and drinking jote (a coke/wine combo) in the other.  The most amazing part of the trip was enjoying the beautiful scenery with good friends (most of whom I couldn’t really understand) and great meat. 

            I have been fortunate that my family, friends, and other professors have been so inviting and open to the traveling Gringo.  I have been to several more since these first two weeks, and always enjoy the experiences. These asados are one aspect of Chile I hope to bring back to the US.  Not only do asados have delicious food, (which I kinda like) and occur throughout the year, but they also bring out a sense of community and shared memories where one can really appreciate the little things in life. 

Hopefully the pictures can do the story a little justice.