How to Cook a Guinea Pig
Guinea Pig is the Meat Eaten Most Often in Peru and Other South American Countries
Some European countries are now importing guinea pigs from South America to be used at South American restaurants. So many South Americans have emigrated overseas that it's only a matter of time before guinea pig becomes in high demand in the countries they live in. But, if you buy a guinea pig to eat, how do you cook it?
There are many ways to cook a guinea pig. Here are just some of them. They all require killing the animal first (obviously!) then stripping it off its skin and fur, removing the organs and intestines and cleaning it.
1. Marinate in beer. A delicious way to eat a guinea pig is to marinate it in beer overnight. Then cook on a barbecue grill. You can cook it with the head and paws still attached, which is how it is served in Peru, but many people are a bit squeamish about this. So detaching the head and paws might be better.
2. Marinate in orange juice and garlic. Another great marinade is orange juice and garlic. Again, marinate it overnight, then grill or barbecue.
3. Deep fry with batter. The popular way to cook it in Peru is to rub it with herbs, then batter in a mixture of flour, eggs and water, and fry it in oil with white wine, peppers, garlic and onions.
4. Guinea pig satay. You can use guinea pig meat just like you would any other meat. Cut into pieces, skewer on wooden or metal skewer and cook over hot coals. When cooked, serve with a peanut sauce and cilantro. Delicious.
5. Oven roasted guinea pig. Cut the meat off the bone and rub with salt. Wrap pieces of meat in banana leaves and fold leaves, and tie with kitchen string. Place in a roasting pan and pour 4 cups of water over them. Place in oven for 3 hours on a low heat. After 3 hours, add potatoes and a little more water and cook for another hour. When finished, unwrap the banana leaves and scoop out the guinea pig. You'll find it is unbelievably tender. You can also serve with plantains, sweet potatoes or even mashed potatoes and gravy.
Guinea pigs are actually low in fat and high in protein. They are said to be a healthier meat than pork and taste very similar to rabbit (which is eaten in many parts of the world, including the US and Europe).
Of course, there will be those who will be up in arms about eating guinea pig. But think about it. There's no difference eating guinea pig or eating squirrel and muskrat. They're all rodents, and the latter two are eaten in many places in the US. Rabbit is also eaten all over the world, and that's a pet just like a guinea pig is.
Chances are, I'd probably never cook one myself, but I would try it if I went to South America. I've eaten bamboo worm, cricket and scorpion in Thailand. I'm sure guinea pig is easier to eat than those.
Published by Cassandra James
I'm a British-American writer currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I've been writing for Associated Content since 2007 and was named one of AC's Top 100 Writers for 2008, 2009 and 2010. I primarily write a... View profile
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12 Comments
Post a CommentI have guinea pigs at my home now but she whats to let her people need to eat
Guinea pig is more commonly eaten in the mountains than it is on the coast or in the jungles here. My mother in law cooks it occasionally, and it tastes as good as any other meat. I don't like it for the same reason I don't like rabbit or squirrel - too little meat, too much bone. I know quite a few Peruvians here in Lima that have the same opinion of it - they'd much rather have a chicken thigh than cuy. ;)
I hear you just ring their necks :-) I've thought of butchering one of my four rabbits many many times, as they take over more and more of my house, LOL.
We recently had an explosion in our pet guinea pig population. We have discussed eating them but are not sure how to go about butchering them. Any suggestions?
Opra, OMG, learn to SPELL and leave the US once in a while (me, the dumbass? Please, you can't even spell :-) Guinea pig is eaten in much of the world NOT because they're poor, but because it's their national dish, going back centuries. Guinea pig is a pet in some western countries, it is NOT a pet in South America. And South America has millions of restaurants, have you ever been there? Obviously not :-) And I"m sorry, I can't get over how terrible your spelling is. And I'M the dumbass!!!! Too funny.
in those countries they eat guiene pigs because they are poor ect. instead of icourageing developed countries and us the people to eat a common pet instead of writing on how to cook them how about using your time consructivley and help south america and perus population and the poor and health codniontions they live in and then they would be eating differnetly like developed countries like chicken or have a luxury like a restaraunt they can aford in south america in the poor parts they ate and eat the guiane pig from the start due to nessicity an strife
in some countries they believe eating the dead as in dead people is ok too in your article i gueese that mean in cicilized and developed countries we should eat the dead people too based on your article that they do it why not us....how about dog chinese eat dogs do you have one...should someone send you a way to cook ur dog dumbass....
What do you mean what have humans become today? Humans have always hunted animals from the beginning of human history. Nothing different. You're so dramatic :-)
OMG! If for 3 years the entire human population could stop eating and hunting animals maybe we wouldn't have tigers going extinctwhat have humans become today!
Interesting, Must say i never thought about them as food. but i dont see why not, hmm wonder what hamster tastes like...
animal lover, try telling that to the millions of people in South America that eat them. Pigs are one of the world's most intelligent animals but we eat those, along with chickens, fish, and cows. What makes guinea pigs so sacred? They originally came from South America, where they WEREN'T pets. Just because Americans and some Europeans have them as pets, it doesn't change what they've been for a few hundred years - food!