Carnivores Heaven: the Montevideo Market
If there’s one thing Uruguay is known for, it’s marijuana legalization. If there’s a 2nd thing Uruguay is known for, it’s MEAT! I'm talking about the mecca of all that is meat… the Montevideo Meat Market. I strolled into what can only be described as a world of carnage - a giant hall filled with wood burning grills sizzlin' with every part of the cow and hog, plus roasting red peppers and potatoes. Mmmm. This is the market where Anthony Bourdain visited in his food show, No Reservations (enough said).
I was immediately tempted at the first grill I saw, but decided to circle around the market to feast my eyes on some other grills. Stuck in a maze of meat, like Alice in Wonderland, I eventually ended-up at the very first grill where I started, and by now I was salivating all over their menu.
As a budget traveller, fancy steaks are a bit of a stretch. But logic and reasoning were only used to conspire against me, and serve primal instincts…
“This $20 delicious steak would be $50 in New York, so I’m actually saving money by eating it”
“Anthony Bourdain ate here — how could I pass this up?”
“I’ve been a disciplined traveler, eating budget meals for nearly 50 days straight — I owe it to myself”
“There’s a lot of steak on these grills… if I don't eat it, it will go to waste, and the poor cow will have died in vein”
“Didn’t I get a few dollars back from my tax return?”
“I’m f**king starving”
Raging hunger won over, and I sat down and ordered. The dish arrived.… rib-eye medium-rare, roasted vegetables, bottle of Tannat wine
As a budget traveller, fancy steaks are a bit of a stretch. But logic and reasoning were only used to conspire against me, and serve primal instincts…
“This $20 delicious steak would be $50 in New York, so I’m actually saving money by eating it”
“Anthony Bourdain ate here — how could I pass this up?”
“I’ve been a disciplined traveler, eating budget meals for nearly 50 days straight — I owe it to myself”
“There’s a lot of steak on these grills… if I don't eat it, it will go to waste, and the poor cow will have died in vein”
“Didn’t I get a few dollars back from my tax return?”
“I’m f**king starving”
Raging hunger won over, and I sat down and ordered. The dish arrived.… rib-eye medium-rare, roasted vegetables, bottle of Tannat wine
I effortlessly sliced into the steak and delicious juices came seeping out onto the plate. I took the first bite… explosions of flavor danced on my taste-buds, and I almost fainted. Then I ate slowly, alternating between steak bites and wine sips until eventually I remembered there were also vegetables present at the table. Even the vegetables were amazing. That’s right, the boring greens your mom forced you to eat at age 7 using dessert as ransom... deeee-licious!!! After clearing my plate, I sat there motionless in a state of post-orgasmic release.
The bill came - and I didn't have enough Uruguayan Pesos to cover it, so I paid in both US dollars and Pesos combined.
Here's the video of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations in Uruguay (the Montevideo Meat Market starts at 5m30s):
More Duff Tales:
- Mustache Sacrifice in The Great Blue Hole
- Fire-walking in Monterico
- Sun-downer in Ipanema
- Hang-gliding in Rio
- Unplugged in Cabo Polonio
Also check out the lovely Suzanne's photo blog:
Questions or comments?
Send me a raven carrying your message in a wax-sealed scroll...
...or just submit your message here:
