Cabrito (Spanish:[kaˈβɾito]ⓘ) is the name in both Spanish and Portuguese for
roastgoat kid in various Iberian and Latin American cuisines.
Argentina
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.[1]
Mexico
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.
In northern Mexico, cabrito is cooked in a variety of ways:
Cabrito al pastor: The best-known and perhaps most popular form. The whole carcass is opened flat and impaled on a
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.
Cabrito al horno (
oven-roasted cabrito): Toasted 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.
Cabrito en sangre (cabrito in
blood), sometimes fritada de cabrito: A less common preparation in which 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.
Portugal and Brazil
In Portuguese, the name cabrito is used for a goat kid (not just roasted) in
Northeast Region, Brazil, especially in the
Sertão Nordestino and in Portugal. The goat being about 3 months old is slow-cooked over a
charcoal fire for about eight hours, turning it every 15-20
minutes.