Ingredients
Cuy
- 2whole guinea pigs, cleaned
- with the skin on
- 2 teaspoonssalt
- 1 teaspoonblack pepper
Marinade
- 8garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoonsground cumin
- 1 tablespoonachiote paste
- juice of 4 limes
- 4 tablespoonsoil
- 1onion, grated
- a handful of chopped coriander
To baste
- 100 mloil or lard
- 2 tablespoonsachiote
- 4garlic cloves, crushed
To serve
- boiled potatoes
- mote, boiled hominy
- ají de piedra, chilli sauce
- salad
Directions
- Rinse it inside and out under cold water. Pat it thoroughly dry all over. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
- Rub it over the whole carcass. Work it into the cavity as well. Rub it under the skin where you can.
- Cover it and refrigerate it now. Give it at least four full hours. Tie the legs against the body with wire. The carcass must be balanced on the spit.
- Let it burn right down to embers. Spread the embers into a long bed. Set the spit well above the embers. The heat must be gentle and indirect.
- Turn the spit continuously throughout. Mix the basting oil with achiote and garlic.
- Brush it over the skin as it turns. Do this every ten minutes or so.
- Take it off the spit carefully. Let it rest for about ten minutes. Do not cover it over with foil. Serve boiled potatoes alongside.
Technique
- The guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, was domesticated in the Andes thousands of years ago and is livestock there, raised in and around kitchens on scraps and grass.
- Guinea pigs are kept as pets in many countries and farmed as food in the Andes, and both are true.
- The animal is scalded and the hair scraped off rather than skinned, since the intact skin crisping into crackling is the point of the dish.
Substitutions
- Cuy is very hard to find outside the Andes, and some Latin American shops sell it frozen.
- Rabbit is the nearest thing in size and leanness, though it has no comparable skin.
Variations
- Cuy chactado in Peru is flattened under a stone and fried rather than spit-roasted.
- Some cooks stuff the cavity with herbs before roasting.
- A version cooked in a wood oven rather than on a spit is also made.
History
Guinea pig was domesticated in the Andes thousands of years ago; it is spit-roasted whole for weddings, baptisms and village fiestas.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cuy asado?
Cuy asado is a main from Ecuador: whole guinea pig roasted crisp, Andean festival delicacy. Guinea pig was domesticated in the Andes thousands of years ago; it is spit-roasted whole for weddings, baptisms and village fiestas.
How long does Cuy asado take to make?
Cuy asado takes 1 hour plus marinating of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Cuy asado?
Yes, within limits. Cuy is very hard to find outside the Andes, and some Latin American shops sell it frozen. Rabbit is the nearest thing in size and leanness, though it has no comparable skin.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cuy asado?
Rub it over the whole carcass. Work it into the cavity as well. Rub it under the skin where you can.
