What is Montalayo?

In Supermercado Morelia at the prepared food counter, they often have a very tasty dish called Montaloya. It is obviously several kinds of chopped organ meat in a spicy sauce. I think lamb kidneys is one of them. Although I wouldn't reccommend it to anybody who does not like organs, it is suprisingly good. I eat it in a tortilla with onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime (like carne al pastor). I don't know if that is how it is meant to be eaten. Does anybody know more about this dish? I have tried looking it up but can find no references.

¿Donde esta Supermercardo Morelia?

-ramon

Ramon wrote:¿Donde esta Supermercardo Morelia?

7334 N Clark St

I've had the Montaloya from morelia, and you're right its not for everyone - very strongly organy. I thought that heart was part of the mix as well, though I really don't know that much about it

I liked it though, especially with a little el gallito salsa manzanita on top.

One of our books at home mentions montalayo, as a stuffed lamb stomach. (Paging all haggis fans... )

So I googled that spelling.

Montalayo is mentioned in the middle of this Spanish language link. (Basically it says that a sheep or goat stomach is filled with chopped up organs, chiles, herbs and spices, and the article seems to imply that this dish is found throughout central Mexico.)

Here is an English language link by someone who had the dish near San Miguel Allende:
http://smaarts.com/san-miguel-10.html (next to last entry on the page)

and who took a picture of it:
http://smaarts.com/images/san-miguel-montalayo.jpg

This guy, William, describes it as sheep tripe cooked inside the sheep stomach, and that it's picante. He further claims that it's typical of the state of Veracruz. But if it's being offered at Supermercado Morelia (Morelia being the capital of the state of Michoacan), it seems likely to be more widespread than just in Veracruz.

Amata

Amata wrote:One of our books at home mentions montalayo, as a stuffed lamb stomach. (Paging all haggis fans... )

Ah sí! Quieres decir jáguiz. Qué rico!

It seems also to be part of the regional cuisine of Guanajuato:
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2002/03/12/0 ... ltura.html

Both this dish and the most alluring obisbo should appear regularly as specials at Guts-N-Such (link).

Munchas gracias por los linques.

A

Amata wrote:One of our books at home mentions montalayo, as a stuffed lamb stomach. (Paging all haggis fans... )

Wow, thanks. Now that you mention it, I probably spelled it wrong (I tend to be a little lysdexic). The stuff at Morelia is definitely not tripe, but chopped organs. I wish the posts mentioned what kind of organs, but I may not want to know. I asked one of the guys behind the counter once, but my Spanish was not good enough to catch it all. I do think he mentioned heart and liver. They do seem to have it whenever they make Barbacoa, so it is probably the innards from that. I wonder if they actually cook it in a stomach? It really is a lot better than it sounds.

d4v3 wrote: I wish the posts mentioned what kind of organs, but I may not want to know. I asked one of the guys behind the counter once, but my Spanish was not good enough to catch it all. I do think he mentioned heart and liver. They do seem to have it whenever they make Barbacoa, so it is probably the innards from that.

The usual choice of organs isn't all that broad. I'm sure they use the pluck -- that is, the heart, lungs, esophagus, spleen -- and quite possibly the more highly prized liver: those 'variety cuts', minced up and stuffed into the stomach for cooking. That's what I gather from the little descriptions I've now seen in the perspective of broader gutsological studies (and I've spent a lot of time researching organ recipes over the past year or more), though it is possible they throw in even more things, such as the kidneys and sweetbreads. And in that regard, thanks for bringing this to my attention and to Amata for digging up more information.

It is surely a by-product of the slaughter for barbacoa and I get the impression it's cooked in the same 'moist roasting' way as barbacoa. See my post in connexion with birria vs. barbacoa here for discussion:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=31497#31497
So too, it seems, the obisbo -- large intestine stuffed with brains and spinal cord. All that probably was traditionally made at the same time, in the same pit, but I'd like to see a more detailed description of the process.

Antonius

Antonius wrote: though it is possible they throw in even more things, such as the kidneys and sweetbreads.

I am pretty sure they put the kidneys in. It is hard to miss that distinctive flavor. I see from the link you supplied, it can also be made from goat. That might be interesting.

Now I will definitely have to walk up to Clark St. and see if they have it today (although I think they usually make Barbacoa on the weekend).

Actually now that I can spell it properly (thanks to Amata), I have found many references to Montalayo, although few of them are in English. I gather it is a part of a certain style of Barbacoa found in Michoacan, Guanajuato and Querétaro (and probably adjacent states). It can be eaten in tacos or tortas. I guess it properly belongs in a discussion of various styles of Barbacoa. Here is a link to a webpage with wonderful pictures of a chain of Barbacoa joints in Guanajuato that advertises Lamb and Goat Barbacoa, Montalayo and Rico Consome.
http://www.barbacoaelhijin.8m.com/

Antonius directed me to a thread about Birria which cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about Barbacoa vs Birria. Most of the Birria I have had in Chicago was 'en su jugo' and included some bits of organ meat in the broth with Lamb Barbacoa, which I guess is typical of Jalisco. Now the question is, do any of the Barbacoa joints in Chicago also serve Montalayo? I can't help but think I can do better than the steam table at Morelia.

Since their large expansion, HarvesTime has expanded their prepared foods section. Late this morning they had montalayo for $6.99/pound. If the pouch was a sheep's stomach, it was either from one big sheep or sheep stomachs are quite expandable. This is the first time I have seen it at HarvesTime, but we don't shop there on Saturday mornings very often. We are not likely to buy any because my internist says I should not eat organ meats.

They also had menudo at $4.99/half gallon.

HarvesTime Foods
2632 West Lawrence Avenue
(773) 989-4400