2 March 2006 - Meat.........the carnivore comes home

Matt says.....

I am generally not a slave to the cavemanesque 'me man - eat meat' school of thought and can easily enjoy a veggie stir-fry as much as the next tofu-wielding hippy. Yesterday, however, I tucked into what is possily the finest meat feast known to man - the traditional Argentinian mixed grill - or parrillada as it is known here. The dish is presented on a sizzling pan which is bought to your table on a warmer so the meat stays hot while you decide which piece to devour next. The parrillada consisted of a thin slice of beef on the bone, sausage, ox tripe, a pair of kidneys, a thick piece of beef, a quarter of chicken and a piece of the finest black pudding I have ever tasted.

The most surprising thing was just how much care had been taken in the preperation of the meat. The black pudding was so, so good - like no black pudding I'd ever tasted before. It really did melt in the mouth and believe it or not had the consistency of a really good liver pate - no bite, just soft succulence. However, the piece de resistance was the thick rectangular chunk of beef. It was so brown, and the fat so yellow, it must have been hung for at least a fortnight - none of that pink tasteless stuff we get at the supermarkets back home. I think I shall have to limit myself to parrillada a week while we are in Argentina for the good of my health.

Oh yeah, the ox tripe............................of course I ate it. You didn't doubt me, did you?