The Travel Chica

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The Most Gluttonous Night of My Life… So Far

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I have outdone myself.

I have had moments of gluttony before.  There was the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Bellagio in Vegas where I was determined to taste every dessert (I believe there were at least 10).  There were those annual feasts around Christmas-time with my friends from college when we would spend an evening indulging in fondue, bacon-wrapped everything, cheese, wine, and even a chocolate fountain.

My friend Jorge coordinated a night out to an all-you-can-eat parrilla called Siga La Vaca.  He wanted to show some “newbies” one of his favorite restaurants.  I certainly had not restrained myself in Buenos Aires, but I also had not experienced a true night of gluttony here.

Then we found out that in addition to all-you-can-eat parrilla, you get a bottle of wine and dessert.  That is a bottle of wine PER PERSON.  All of this for 95 pesos (US$24)!!

This was going to be a good, good night. I could hear that Black Eyed Peas song playing in my head as we took the bus to Puerto Madero.

Siga La Vaca was everything I hoped it would be and more.

When I walked up to the grill, I was overwhelmed by the many options.  I had no idea what a lot of the options actually were.  I quickly made friends will the grill master and asked for suggestions.  He was into being photographed.

Photo of grillmaster holding up a giant slab of meat
I don't know what that is, but I'll eat it.

I approached it like a sporting event.  Here is the play-by-play.

PLATE #1

I started off with carne (beef).  I asked for the vacio (flank steak) and the asado de tira (rib).  Simple but good starters.  The asado was my favorite thing on plate #1.

Photo of beef asado and tenderloin
Perfectly cooked asado.

PLATE #2

Then I moved on to pig.  I had the tenderloin and the matambre (flank).  The matambre was more juicy and flavorful than the tenderloin.

Photo of pork tenderloin and matambre
Matambre on top of the tenderloin

PLATE #3

For my third trip to the parrilla, I knew I wanted to try the chorizo.  I also wanted to get a little more adventurous.  An all-you-can-eat restaurant is the best place to try things because if you don’t like something, it’s not a big deal.  Just push it to the side and get a new plate.  (Yes, this is wasteful.  I am a bad person sometimes.)

So I went with the morcilla (blood sausage) and cow intestines.

Photo of chorizo, intestine, and blood sausage
Delicous bite of chorizo. You can see the cow intestine and blood sausage in the background.

I discovered that I love morcilla. This one had a bit of a watery texture, but the taste was incredible.  Spread on a piece of bread, it was perfect.

Photo of morcilla on bread

PLATE #3.5

I snagged a slice of Ayngelina’s pork bandiola.  It was just okay.  But now I’ve tried it; checked off that box.

PLATE #4

Since I was being adventurous, I decided to just start pointing at crazy-looking things on the parrilla and asking what they were.  The grill master said a word in Spanish I didn’t know and then turned his back to me and pointed.  Ah, kidney!  Why not?

I asked him what else he would suggest, and he picked up the chicken tripe (intestine).  Never had that before either. Sure, throw a slice on the plate. The third item on the plate was pechito de cerdo (pork ribs).

I’m not gonna lie.  Kidney smells kinda bad. The flavor wasn’t terrible, but it was hard to get over the smell as I was eating it.

Photo of kidney, tripe, and pechito de cerdo
Kidney, tripe, pechito

The texture of the tripe was a little difficult to get past.  Then we started talking about what it looked like.  It is part of an intestine….

Photo of tripe
I couldn't eat another bite after we started talking about what this looks like.

PLATE #4.5

I had to take a break from the meat.  So I had some cheese from the salad bar.  I know…. I’m disgusting.  But it was a night of gluttony.  In case you are wondering, no, there was not a vegetable consumed this evening.

I also had some bread lathered in chimichurri.  By the way, this is the greatest condiment ever invented.  I have no idea how I will survive without it while I am in Argentina.  Yes, it is supposed to go on steak or chorizo, but I find myself wanting to put it on everything.  I did get a recipe in the Argentine cooking class, so I think I’ll have to try to make it.

Photo of chimichurri
Mmm... chimichurri.

PLATE #5

Then it was time for dessert.  I wanted them all, but I decided on the cheesecake.  I don’t think I have had cheesecake since I left the US.  The raspberry sauce was delish!

Photo of cheesecake

And a few bites of Ayngelina’s chocolate mousse.

Photo of chocolate mousse

why not finish off the meal with a little dulce de leche from Kit’s bread pudding?

Photo of bread pudding

I thought I might go into heart failure, but I survived the night.

Luckily I already joined a gym, and I will be trying to undo the damage for the next week.

It was worth it!  Have you had a gluttonous night while traveling?  Do share!

Comments

  9. Well that does look like a feast! I agree with Scott, occassional gluttony is okay – I know I’m really guilty of that! In fact I know I’ll definatley be at an all you can eat chinese this weekend! Thanks for sharing your experiences with your blog readers :)
    Harriet recently posted..Mobile Phone Exchange

  10. I’m impressed! Not only by how much you ate, but also what you ate. I can see why you couldn’t eat more of the intestine after looking at the photo. I had no idea that food in Buenos Aires was so delicious. I think my most gluttonous meals were in Vegas at the buffets when I was a student. We were trying to save money by only eating once a day, so we ate a LOT that one time each day.
    Laurel recently posted..The Warmest Welcome I’ve Ever Received Anywhere

    • I won’t say that everything in Buenos Aires is delicious. You can get better meat at more expensive parrillas in Buenos Aries. This place is good, and it’s all about the experience. Unfortunately, most of the really great food here is at expensive restaurants… or it’s junk food that you shouldn’t eat too often :-)
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Learning to Cook in Buenos Aires

  11. Wow, all of that looks delicious but I can actually feel a heart attack just looking at those photos. I really do love meat but don’t eat it as much as I used to. There is a time to indulge – and time to do a LOT of walking the next day! :)
    Jeremy B recently posted..Where in the world am I

  14. This looks delicious (and I’m sure it was…!!)
    2 years ago I went on a weekend trip with two friends to the coasts of Spain (long drive from Madrid). On saturday, the 3 of us had a paella that was SO big and SO good… we couldn’t resist but eating it all up. After 2 hours stuffing our stomachs with rice and seafood, we were so fed that we couldn’t talk to each other, neither move.
    We sat at the restaurant for another 30 minutes, just looking at each other, and then silently dragged ourselves to the apartment (which was only a 5 minute walk away….). We then had a 3 hours siesta!
    Katherina recently posted..Not Just a London Trip

  16. There are too many gluttonous nights here in Argnetina, but a night at El Boliche de Alberto in Bariloche will give any meat eater a dizzying high (or heart attack).

    How was the cheesecake? I love cheesecake and miss it dearly. After trying it at about a dozen Argentinean restaurants, from Bariloche to Salta, I’ve given up that temptation until I head home to Canada. I’ve never found a piece I’d even even classify as OK.

    Chimichurri is delicious. We buy a bag of the bulk dried spices, add a bit of water, heat it for 10-30 seconds in the microwave to get the spices moist again, and then stir in the olive oil. Apply to beef, chicken, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bread, etc…
    Jeff recently posted..Interview Series- Sports Photographer-Editor Rich Clarkson

    • I will have to check that place out when I get to Bariloche.

      The cheesecake was good, but it was definitely not the same style of cheesecake we normally eat. But I did really like it. Ayngelina hated it though.

      Great idea for chimichurri. I’ll have to try that.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Learning to Cook in Buenos Aires

    • I felt kind of stupid not knowing what anything was, but the guys behind the grill were really nice. I think they were just amused at how many pictures I took of the grill :-)

      As for the intestines…. Now I can say I’ve tried, and I know it’s not in my top ten list of food.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..A Museum Worth a Trip to the ‘Hood

  23. Wow! it’s look like a feast. I’m really very sure, it’s all delicious! Yes, I love meat but i don’t eat much. Looking those photos, I can feel a heart attack. Thanks for sharing your adventurous blog, it makes us hungry.
    Ciara Hurt recently posted..Pregnancy Planner

    • I never cook meat for myself (due to laziness and not really knowing how to cook it without a proper grill), so it’s always a treat to eat it at a restaurant.

      And yes, I was a bit concerned about a heart attack during this dinner. I am quite certain I could feel my arteries clogging and my blood pumping slower.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..A Museum Worth a Trip to the ‘Hood

  25. If I only learned on thing while visiting Ayngelina in Argentina it was this – chimichurri counts as a vegetable. :)

  26. Oh God, that all looks good. so good. I’m not sure if I could have given the blood sausage, kidney and tripe a go, but everything else looks incredible. Sometimes a night of gluttony is a good thing!
    Elise recently posted..My Take On Long Term Travel

  33. This is food porn if ever I saw it. I’m now even more determined that Argentina will be the first South American country I make it to!

  35. You are very brave when it comes to eating random meat! I’m hoping I’ll be able to channel you when we finally reach Argie. <3

  36. as a fellow carnivore who is starving right now, I feel a little woozy. Wow! YUM. (these food posts are killing me this week!!)

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