Yipee and Yeehaw!

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Before heading south from BA, we went up for a weekend in San Antonio de Areco. It is a small gaucho town and although this cowboy lifestyle is now waning in most of the country, it has proud roots in this town and the nostalgia in the air is palpable. It was a welcome change of scene after the bustle of the city and we enjoyed a hostel located across from the green belt at the edge of town. The residents were robustly friendly and we saw more bike riders then cars on the cobble streets. We visited the Museo Gauchesco "Ricardo Güiraldes" to learn about the gaucho ways. Güiraldes was an author who wrote one of the most iconic books in Argentinian culture, Don Segundo Sombra. The old estancia holds artifacts (ponchos, saddles, pistols, etc), pictures, artwork and excerpts from his writings and those of his peers.

Although we were planning on cooking dinner at the hostel, our hosts insisted we get a reservation at a local restaurant for a weekend dinner show that we simply could not miss! The hall was brightly lit and the tables were pushed back for the performers. While we dined a a thin man crooned to his guitar. As the evening progressed, he was joined by a drummer and accordion player. The crowd clapped and sang along; one by one they were called up to sing or play an instrument, guitars and flutes changed hands with those on stage or guests brought their own inside. The very talented patrons danced traditional gaucho numbers and a few porteños were called upon for a tango. By the end of the evening we were all rosy cheeked, grinning and raising our glasses in toast.

Sundays are centered around family time and asados. We rode bikes through the streets and watched families gathered in their yards and in the parks. The smell of cooking meat hung in the air all day and Mike was in heaven. We bought a paddle ball set in Brazil and now consider ourselves pros; after a rousing game in the park, we decided it was time to fire up the grill* (a note from Mike below), or parrilla. We joined the hostel hens in the backyard and turned it up a notch.


*A simple ¨fire up the grill¨ might confuse the American family BBQ host sporting an apron and oversized spatula or the beer bellied game-goer warming their weenie on a grill in a dusty parking lot. Don´t get me wrong, I love to partake in the American BBQ until I am sick but this is a completely different ballgame. I went to the local carniceria where I procured half Kilo of bife chorizo, a sirloin cut. For those of us not working in the metric system, that is just over a pound of world class steak for about three dollars. Slap a bit of salt on that baby and throw it on the parrilla (heated with wood, naturally, not too hot) for twenty five minutes and you have yourself a heap of a carnivore´s dream. The card in the picture is supposed to be a point of reference of size but let´s go ahead and throw the symbolism right out there and announce that I am a real Ace when it comes to manning the grill. I couldn´t believe it, I am a chump at cooking steaks back home but this was the finest steak I have ever devoured. You´ll have to experience this quality of steak cuisine for yourself someday. Highly recommended.

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Photos

Caboose
Grounds of Museo Ricardo Güiraldes

Comments

[anonymous]

mmmm. steak. sounds like a great town!!! a little behing on reading the blogs! catching up. i love you