Roast lamb “al palo”

Roast lamb “al palo” is considered a national delicacy. When you visit the south of Chile, it is almost mandatory to arrange with your travel companions or those hosting you to light the fire and roast the lamb.
It is a slow preparation, in which the meat is cooked for several hours over a wood fire, while it is drizzled with its own juices and fat.

The result: a juicy, succulent and very tender meat surrounded by a crispy skin. Normally, the preparation is accompanied with a kind of brine infused with garlic.
Roast lamb is usually served with pebre, a popular Chilean sauce, and can be accompanied with fresh salads, potatoes, bread and red wine.

This dish can be found in many restaurants in the region, however, in everyday life, roast lamb is usually prepared on special occasions and festivities.

This is not a dish that only Chileans recognize as one of the best in our gastronomy. In early August of 2023, the leading gastronomic portal Taste Atlas, published it in the update of the 50 best dishes with lamb in the world.

On this occasion, the roast lamb “al palo”, which is prepared in Chile, Argentina and Patagonia, was ranked 49th.

Magellanic Lamb

Magellanic lamb is a variety of the species recognized for being one of the most important delicacies in the extreme south of Chile and Argentina.

This is a variety of Chilean lamb which, as its name suggests, is raised in the Magallanes Region, in the extreme south of Chile. Despite being the same animal, there are notable differences between the Magellanic lamb and the common lamb, which is raised in other regions of Chile and the world.

One of the most important differences is the breed of lamb. According to Claudio Fourcade, Chef of Estancia Cerro Guido, they work with the Coriedale variety, which is “multipurpose, they are good for both wool and meat”.
However, there are other contrasts that lie mostly in the method of aging, but we can also notice them in the taste and texture.

The main ones are:

1. Diet and Grazing: Magellanic lamb is raised in a region of pastures rich in native vegetation, where the animals feed on natural grasses and wild herbs. This confers a distinctive flavor to its meat, as the animals’ diet influences its flavor profile.
2. Climate and Raising Conditions: The Magallanes region has a particularly cold and windy climate, which affects the way lamb is raised. Low temperatures and extreme weather conditions can result in leaner meat with a higher intramuscular fat content, which improves tenderness and flavor.
3.  Flavor and Texture: The meat of Magellanic lamb is characterized by its more intense and complex flavor compared to common lamb. The combination of diet, rearing conditions and maturation contributes to the unique flavor and tender texture of the meat.
4. Culinary Applications: Magellanic lamb is considered a gourmet product and is used in fine cuisine dishes in Chile and elsewhere. Its distinctive flavor makes it ideal for simple preparations that highlight its quality, such as grilling or slow cooking.

The Magellanic lamb is a delicacy recognized worldwide and you can enjoy it at Estancia Cerro Guido. Not only when tasting the dish, but you will also learn about the breeding process and the whole journey of the animal.