Cuy Asado
Cusco, Peru
Roasted guinea pig has been a staple of Andean cuisine for over 5,000 years. In Cusco, cuy is rubbed with huacatay (black mint) and ají panca paste, then roasted whole in a clay oven or on a spit. The skin turns impossibly crispy while the meat stays tender and gamey-sweet, somewhere between rabbit and dark chicken. Served with potatoes and rocoto pepper sauce at celebrations and Sunday family meals.
Ingredients
- 1 piecewhole guinea pig (cleaned)
- 3 tbsphuacatay (black mint) paste
- 4 clovesgarlic (minced)
- 1 tspcumin
- 2 tbspají amarillo paste
- 100 mlchicha de jora (corn beer)
- 4 tbspvegetable oil
- 1 tspsalt & pepper
Directions
- 1
Pat the cuy completely dry; this is the most important step for achieving crispy skin.
- 2
Create a marinade by mixing huacatay, garlic, cumin, ají amarillo, and chicha de jora.
- 3
Rub the marinade inside the cavity and all over the skin; let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours (uncovered to dry the skin).
- 4
Traditionally roasted on a spit, but for home use: place on a wire rack over a baking tray.
- 5
Roast at 180°C (350°F) for 45 minutes, then increase to 220°C (425°F) for 10 minutes to blister the skin.
- 6
Serve whole or halved, accompanied by 'papa helada' (boiled potatoes) and an onion salsa (sarsa criolla).