Beef, it´s what´s for dinner

For all of you who think you´ve attended a BBQ, I´m sorry to disappoint you...but you have not. That´s right, I said it...the traditional American BBQ that we have in the south, is actually not a BBQ at all, I´ve come to realize...or at least by Argentine standards. I thought I had been to some pretty big BBQs, including the annual Castle Rock Pig Roast at my childhood neighborhood pool...but I was wrong. Last Sunday, after living with my family for just 72 hours, they decided to really welcome me to "the "family" with a traditional Argentine Asado. You might think you know about this, but unless you´ve experienced it, you have no idea. I woke up around 11.30 after being out until 5 the previous morning (I´m telling you things happen so late here!)...and found my host brother, Pablo, in the kitchen surrounded by bags of meat and cleaning pieces of cow that I could not recognize. What was that strangely shaped piece of meat in his hand that he was beginning to cut up? A kidney (riñones), I was quickly told...followed by the intestines (chinchulines)...these were quickly joined by typical beef chorrizos and moircillas (blood sausage) to serve as a sort of appetizers. After the washing of the beef, I accompanied Pablo to the grill on our rooftop patio, where a fire had long been burning...after cleaning the grill with a piece of cow fat (hows that for some southern flare and flavor??), we threw everything on the grill...I have pictures which I will be uploading soon when I get the chance...and went back downstairs to begin welcoming guests and eating bread/crackers and cheese. After about an hour, we returned to the grill and it was time to eat the appetizers...while i could not make myself partake in any of the appetizing blood sausage (which they had in Scotland as well), I did try an intestine and a kidney...but much prefer the typical chorrizo. By this time, I was beginning to get pretty full, considering the ginormous salad that we were also eating...but we were far from done- there was still the main course to eat! Next came the ribs...the biggest ribs that I´ve ever seen in my entire life...and perhaps the tastiest as well...after eating several of these, we waiting for the steak to finish cooking (which was nice because it gave my stomach a little break). This steak, my friends, was amazing...it was so juicy and so flavor-filled...take the highest-end steak place in the states and imagine 100x better...seriously. THIS is steak. Oh...and all was accompanied by chimichurri sauce...which, if you´ve never before had, is a truly heaven-sent condiment...it´s up there with mayonaisse for me, which can tell you that it´s pretty amazing...

Oh wait, you thought we were done? I´m sorry, but no...we still had dessert to eat! This consisted of brownies (which funny enough, they call brownies) and 6 different flavors of ice cream, including their famous dulce de leche...this tasty treat melts in your mouth...

Finally, after 6 hours of eating beef, and full with all parts of cow...I felt like all I couild do was give a loud "moo" or sleep...I chose the latter.