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Mexican Lifestyles Food & Dining Uruguayan Fare: Chivitos, Grilled Piglet & More Meat
Mexican Lifestyles Food & Dining Uruguayan Fare: Chivitos, Grilled Piglet & More Meat | Uruguayan Fare: Chivitos, Grilled Piglet & More Meat |
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| Written by David Agren | |
| Saturday, 15 July 2006 | |
 'Horacio Troche Jr. shows off lechon a las brasas (whole grilled piglet) at his restaurant on Avenida Tepeyac.' - Photo By D. Agren Uruguay failed to appear in this year's World Cup, losing a winner-takes-all qualifying series to Australia, which turned in a strong performance in Germany, advancing to the round of 16. Horacio Troche Jr., owner of El Charrua and a former professional soccer player, found it a bit hard to fathom. "Australia playing with Uruguay?" he asked, his voice intoning both disbelief and contempt. "Uruguay was twice champion of the world." But Uruguay last won the World Cup in 1950. The accomplishment's fame endures, but the country of 3.4 million people generally isn't known for much beyond soccer. Its better-known neighbor Argentina tends to exert a strong influence on many things Uruguayan, including the food. "Argentine food and Uruguayan food are pretty much the same," Troche explained, adding that meat is found in abundance on both countries' menus. "Usually, you have eight or nine types of meat." El Charrua, named for a Uruguayan Indian tribe, serves all sorts of meat straight from the grill – especially lechon a las brasas, a whole grilled piglet. Much of the food gets washed down with very acceptable Uruguayan wine. Chivitos, sandwiches featuring several meats and sausages and topped with homemade garlic mayonnaise and chimichurri – a sauce made from olive oil, vinegar, parsley and spices – are also popular. Troche compares the sandwiches' appeal in Uruguay to local staples here like tortas ahogadas and tacos. "A chivito is typical fast food in Uruguay," he said. "We don't eat tacos." Troche credited his restaurant's success in a city notorious for conservative tastes to the menu. "In virtually every part of the world, people like meat," he commented. Although born into a soccer family – his father captained Uruguay on more than 90 occasions, suited up for the country in three World Cups and played nine seasons with fabled German team Bayern Munich – Troche keeps the soccer memorabilia to a minimum at his restaurant, which has a certain coziness to it, but lacks the informality of a sports bar or rec room. After eating, the conversation inevitably drifts back to soccer; the German-born Troche after all, played professionally for ten years in Spain, Guatemala and Mexico. Not only soccer fans would appreciate the food, attentive service and ambiance at El Charrua. "When you come here, it's your home." El Charrua is located on Avendia Tepeyac, corner of Prados de los Olivos, and is open daily from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. |
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