Sarah, meet meat.

For the last two years, since our trip to Tanzania, I have been a vegetarian. It started because the meat in Tanzania was not very desirable (lacking meat on the bones), and after not eating/enjoying meat for four months, I decided to research the vegetarian movement when I got back to the US.  After reading some of the popular slow food books by Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver and watching Food Inc., I realized that leaving meat out of my diet for a while wasn’t such a bad idea. My reason being that animals should be treated fairly and humanely… before we eat them. For those of you who have seen Food Inc., (and if you haven’t, go rent it now) it highlights the mistreatment and the unnatural ways in which so much of the meat in this country is handled and prepared for consumption; it is terrifying, sad and shocking to think about animals (meat) being stuffed with hormones, unsanitary food, and living in conditions unfit for pigs. Free range (literally meaning they have the ability to cruise around a nice field of grass), living without hormones to fatten them up, and without living on top of each other in dismal conditions, is the wholesome way an animal should be raised on a farm. So, enjoy your burger, chicken, or steak tonight, but check out where it’s from, how it was raised, make sure it was a “happy chicken or cow”, (as my DC roommates would say.)

Which leads me to my Bolivian story. I knew coming to South America that I was going to have to throw up my hands and eat some meat. Dave reassured me that here, the majority of the meat does not come from factories, but is actually free range. Dave also gave me the heads up it is rare to find dishes that do not contain meat in the Bolivian culture. Alright I thought, well a little natural chicken or beef would be good for me, I’m ready. And in the month that I have been here, we usually cook a vegetarian dinner in the apartment, but I have had my share of pollo y carne in other delicious Bolivian dishes.

Like this pork salteña

The other night we were out with a bunch of Dave’s co-workers (from ILS) to celebrate Dave’s birthday and also for a farewell party for his close friend, Javier, from ILS, who left on Sunday for an assignment in Nigeria and Qatar for the next year. As our night of celebratory drinking and eating pique macho (of which I managed to eat only the vegetables and fries) came to an end, Dave’s good friend Patty told us that we were going with her and her husband to get her favorite meal, anticuchos, cow heart.

Even after my shpeil on eat all the meat you want, as long as it lead a nice life, cow heart?! I looked at Dave in terror and we both smiled and said, “Great!” Dave and another American friend had both told me that this was a great dish, wonderful meat and “you would never know it’s cow heart!” Hmmm, well I do know it’s cow heart, so now what? Dave’s plan was that he would order one and I would have a bite. As soon as we sat down at the late night, outdoor food stands of Las Islas, Patty quickly ordered two for each of us. Before I knew it, a plate with yucca and two skewers of dark meat landed in front of me.

They looked like shish kabobs I told myself, “mind over matter, mind over matter.” Dave, to the rescue, began explaining to Patty, Carlos and Boris that I had not eaten meat for two years so this was a big step. They all laughed and supported me, asking “What do you think? Do you like it?” Ok, here we go, I thought, Patty is the nicest woman in the world, you are in her country and this is her favorite meal, eat the cow heart. And I did. And it wasn’t too bad.

Afterwards, I told Dave that the hard part was that I knew it was a cow’s heart, it was completely a mental battle. We all laughed at my success and had a wonderful time enjoying our anticuchos (well, Dave had most of mine.) I’m sure you have all tried some interesting dishes on your travels, and I’m sure they all involve a great story. Please leave a comment below if you're bold enough to share!

Looking back on that night, filled with meat and Dave’s close friends, who have taken me under their wings, I’m so glad that I was invited to share their favorite dish with them. At the heart of it all, food is meant to be enjoyed with company, bringing us all around one table.

On the menu for tomorrow, llama empanadas.