The days of slaughter
On the way back from skiing we stopped to eat in a place called Felechosa, high in the Aller valley. Most of the tables in the restaurant were reserved and there was a set menu on offer. If we didn’t like what was on offer, we’d have to go to some other town, the waitress said, because this was one of the Jornadas Gastranómicas de la Matanza. Literally the gastronomic days of the slaughter, traditionally, the time of year when the families killed one of their pigs (or, as was common enough, their only pig) and then made months worth of food from it. The menu was straightforward enough:
First of all an appetiser of Manitos de cerdo (pigs trotters, well the porky gelatinous parts of trotters, rather a nice flavour but definitely an acquired consistency).
Pote Asturiano con compango casero (chorizo, morcilla, costilla y lacon) Which is the traditional beans, potato, kale/greens with a chorizo, black pudding, pork ribs and belly pork (a bit of a pig theme then).
Picadillo Casero Lomo Adobado Casero These two came on the same plate, hiding some chips, picadillo is the filling for chorizo, it was quite spicy, and the lomo is nice thick slices of pork loin. (Remember, it is a pig they slaughter).
Panchón for dessert, which was a new one to all of us, but essentially is breadcrumbs from spelt bread, fried in butter and sugar.
This was not health food.
Accompanying the meal was wine, soda and following it was a chupito of orujo de arándanos, blueberry based alcohol.
I’m still full now.
Tags: food, skiing, walking
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Who’s a pig then???