Cabrito

Cabrito is roast goat kid. It is a regional specialty of the city of Monterrey, Mexico, and the surrounding state of Nuevo Leon, based on the Jewish cuisine of the founders of the city.The name is also applied to a goat kid (not just roasted) in Northeast Brazil, especially in Sertão Nordestino, the poorest area in Brazil. The goat being about 3 months old. It is slow cooked over a charcoal fire for about 8 hours, turning it every 15-20 minutes.

Cabrito is also a regional specialty of Córdoba Province in Argentina, especially the town of Quilino, which has a festival in its honour. "Chivito" differs from "cabrito" in that chivito is a slightly older animal with less tender meat. The chivito has already begun to eat solid foods, whereas the cabrito is still a suckling.

In northern Mexico, cabrito is cooked in a variety of ways.

* The best known, and perhaps most popular form is “cabrito al pastor” in which the whole carcass is opened flat and impaled on a metal spit. The spit is then placed next to a bed of glowing embers and roasted slowly in the open air without seasonings other than the light scent it will absorb from the slow-burning charcoal.

* A modern variation is “cabrito al horno” or oven-roasted cabrito, which is roasted slowly in an oven at low temperatures. A number of variants of this preparation have emerged, including some very elaborate processes that involve applying seasonings and covering the cooking meat at specific times to produce a tasty and juicy treat.

* Other preparations include “cabrito en salsa” in which the animal is cut into portions, browned in oil and braised in a tomato-based sauce with onions, garlic and green chilies, and other seasonings until tender.

* A less common preparation is “cabrito en sangre” or cabrito in blood sauce, which is sometimes called “fritada de cabrito.” For this preparation, the blood of the animal is collected when it is slaughtered and it becomes the basis for the sauce that the goat is braised in, along with the animal’s liver, kidneys and heart, and other seasonings. The end product is tender cabrito in a rich, very dark sauce.