San Joaquin's Traditional Grilled Meat

San Joaquín, rural parish to the west of Cuenca. Famous for its typical food restaurants and its production of vegetables in small private gardens. On weekends it is a tradition for families in Cuenca to eat "San Joaquin's meat" for lunch.

 

In the Cristo del Consuelo and Cruz Verde neighborhoods there are about ten gastronomic enterprises. Their owners have inherited them for three generations. The custom of roasting meat began in San Joaquín at the end of the 1960s. Many of these places have been operating for half a century.

 

They all offer the same thing. The difference is made by the recipes, which have been passed down from father to son, and the decoration of the premises, which generate welcoming cultural microenvironments.

 

The basis for the preparation of dishes is beef or pork jerky. Cecina consists of a fine cut of seasoned meat. Every restaurant has its secret, but basically this dressing contains salt, onion, garlic, coriander and parsley. The seasoned cecina is left to stand and then fried. There is a variety of accompaniments, according to the taste of the diners. The main one is mote, or cooked corn. It has two variants: the mote pillo (scrambled in egg) and the mote sucio (scrambled in pig fat). Other accompaniments can be the salad or the potato tortilla known locally as "llapingacho". A different dish, as a starter, is the papas con cuero, a kind of soup, which is called "papas locas". More options: beans with cheese, tamales, chicken broth, corn on the cob or "choclo" with cheese. Drinks to choose from.

 

While having lunch, people can observe the vegetable and flower crops. San Joaquin has an agricultural vocation. It is the garden of Cuenca and mainly provides cabbage to nearby cities like the populous Guayaquil. Large-scale demand dates back to 1972, with the support of the United States Peace Corps and CREA.

 

San Joaquin has existed as a rural parish in Cuenca since December 28, 1944. Its main handicraft production is baskets woven with vegetable fibers from the zuro and the duda. Other products that the craftsmen make with this raw material are diaper bags, souvenirs, blowers, ornaments, among others. There are at least 16 workshops that generate local employment.