El Asado

(asado = argentinian bbq)

Nico invited the TEFL girls and me to another asado at his house on Saturday night. For those of you that have eaten argentinian meat, you know it´s good. For those of you that have eaten argentinian meat in Argentina, you know that it changes your life. It is, without a doubt, impossibly good. Most of you know that I was a vegetarian for several years before travelling. I started eating meat before my little world adventure because a large part of discovering a new place is through its food. For me, meat has always been okay. I don´t crave it - it usually doesn´t do it for me. But la carne en Argentina...I want to take my clothes of for it. I´m having a dirty affair with meat and I can´t seem to stop myself.

Nico was the asador extraordinaire - I think you have to be born here to really cook meat like this. Seasoned just with salt, it cuts like butter and you are in heaven with every bite.

Nico, and his friend Gabriel, purchased 5 kilos of meat...la morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo, vacío, tire, lomo...

Asados normally start with chorizo and bread, or rather, choripan. Sip some wine, nibble on some choripan and gawk at the mountain of meat sizzling on the grill.Also, traditionally, you have provoleta - cheese grilled on the bbq - another life changing experience. Then the asador serves you meant until, well - you are a broken, former shell of a vegetarian, lying on the floor and rubbing your barriga (belly).

Morcilla - who knew it could be so good. There is no bigger leap from vegetarian to morcilla. I am not even ashamed.

So, hows my barriga? Well, perhaps I´m sporting an extra jiggle here (and there), but another BsAs tradition keeps me in check: walking. I also started running again and found a nature reserve not far from my house where I can run nextt o the Rio de la Plata and prepare for my next dirty encounter with mi amor, asado.

Stay tuned...a portrait of my apartment, coming soon!