Small Shelly Fauna

The Beef People

When it comes to Argentine cuisine, one word stands out above the rest: beef. While I have actually not had that many steaks here, because I very rarely go out to dinner, those that I have had were incredibly succulent and absolutely dirt cheap. I have had a lot of beef-based meals in general, however, mostly in the form of carne-filled empanadas and lomitos (a type of hot sandwich) for lunch. The above photograph depicts a monstrous lunch entrée I had the other day, the lomo súper. When I ordered it I had no idea what I was in for. The photograph is deceptive, and the perspective beyond my finger makes it seem smaller than it really is, but I assure you that the depicted meal is situated on a full-size platter, not a plate. It consists of two whole steaks, covered in ham, covered in cheese, covered in tomato sauce, buried under a mountain of las papas fritas, and topped with hot peppers, boiled onions, and a fried egg. I managed to eat about half of it before I had to call it quits (I managed to get through the steak, but those fries—so many fries!) Kind of reminded me of a Springfield Shoe, but with a decidedly nicer fleshy core.