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Chivito al asador
Chivito al asador: whole young goat splayed on an iron cross and slow-roasted beside a wood fire, Malargüe style
Malargüe, in the dry south of Mendoza, holds a goat festival every summer, and the star is the chivito: a milk-fed kid opened flat, wired to an iron cross and planted at an angle beside a fire of jarilla or other hardwood. It cooks from the side, never over the flames, basted with a garlicky salmuera until the skin turns glassy and crackling and the meat pulls apart. Serve it straight from the cross with salad, bread and chimichurri. Order a whole kid of 5–7 kg dressed weight from a specialist or halal butcher, and check the cross fits it before the day. Most failures come from setting it too close to the fire, which burns the outside while the thick legs stay raw. Kid is lean, so cook it right through, as in Mendoza: the thickest part of the leg should reach at least 70 °C. Chef's tip: cook bone side to the fire for two-thirds of the time; the ribs protect the meat, and the skin goes on last so it crisps instead of scorching.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the salmuera (basting brine)
To serve
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What you'll need
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Stir 2 ⅛ oz coarse salt into 4 ¼ cups warm water until dissolved, then add 1 head garlic, 2 tbsp dried oregano, 2 tsp ají molido and ½ cup white vinegar. Pour into a bottle with a few holes in the cap, or keep a bowl and a brush handy.
Step 2: Open 13 ¼ lb whole kid goat flat on the cross, ribs facing you, and fix it firmly at the shoulders, spine and legs with wire, so it can't slip as it softens.
Step 3: Light a generous wood fire on the ground and let it burn for 30–40 minutes to build a bed of embers with a steady flame behind.
40 minStep 4: Drive the cross into the ground at about a 70° angle, 70–80 cm from the fire, with the bone side facing the heat. Hold your hand at the meat for a slow count of eight: if you have to pull away sooner, move it back.
Step 5: Roast bone side to the fire, basting with the salmuera every 20 minutes and feeding the fire to keep the heat even, until the ribs are dark gold and the meat has shrunk back from the bone ends.
140 minStep 6: Turn the cross so the skin faces the fire. Baste once more and roast until the skin is blistered, crisp and amber.
60 minStep 7: Check the thickest part of a hind leg with a thermometer: it should read at least 158°F and the juices should run clear. If not, give it another 10–15 minutes and check again.
10 minStep 8: Lift the cross away from the heat and rest the meat for 10 minutes. Cut it into pieces straight off the cross with a heavy knife and serve with 3 lemons if you like.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chivito al asador take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 210 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dried oregano?
- Dried thyme or marjoram, same amount.
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