Enough with the zoology lesson; on to the food. The most famous dish of the llanos, and perhaps the most spectacular of Colombia’s immensely varied regional cuisines, is their barbecue. Large cuts of meat are skewered on six foot long metal poles that are leaned vertically toward pits smoldering with hardwood fires. Six to eight hours of slow cooking later, the fat has rendered into a crisp shell and the meat is tender enough to shred with the fingers while still retaining plenty of moisture. Just like the brisket of Texas, seasoning is very sparse seasoning—most often just a heavy sprinkle of salt and perhaps a douse of beer—it’s the flavor of the hardwood that dominates.
Head, Shoulder, Knees, and Toes
Ternera a la Llanera (known locally as mamona), the barbecued quarter of a veal calf, is the most famous incarnation, though my personal favorite is chiguiro, the large aquatic rodent more commonly known in the U.S. by it’s Brazilian Portuguese name capybara. With succulent white meat and a healthy amount of fat, it’s closest comparison is pork shoulder, though chiguiro is far more flavorful, with a slight gamey undertone.
