Monday, March 5, 2012

Gastronomic Adventures in Los Barriles, Baja

Benign and delicious torta
As I've mentioned in a previous post, one of our pastimes is stuffing our faces with yummy food and drink.  A few weeks ago, we decided to try a nearby lunch stand. We expected to order a burrito, or possibly a torta.  It seemed that almost everyone there, and those that had just left, had ordered a mysterious yet delicious looking soup. We asked, "¿que tipo?". The answer, "menudo". Scott had a vague memory about menudo having a reputation as a hang-over remedy.  We didn't have a hangover, but we still ordered some of the soup and a carne asada torta (beef sammy). I was admittedly excited for the soup because it was filled with hominy and something else that we couldn't quite make out.  When it arrived, I dug into the soup, only to realize menudo is, according to Wikipedia, "tripe, honeycomb and 'librillo' stomach beef meat along with the beef feet and tendons".  I didn't need Wikipedia to realize what I was eating had some sort of histologic/physiologic resemblance to intestines.  I couldn't do it.  I didn't eat one piece of it.  I always thought I was an adventurous eater, but this was too much.   Scott had to take over.  He made a valiant effort, eating about a third of the bowl. His conclusion: menudo may or may not be a hang-over remedy, but you'd have to be drunk to even consider eating it.

Looks delicious doesn't it?  Just don't look too closely.

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