Colombian & Venezuelan BBQ Recipes

Colombia and Venezuela bring a whole pig, a whole cow, and the whole neighborhood. Lechona tolimense — a whole pig stuffed with rice, peas, and spices and slow-roasted for 12 hours — is one of the greatest things ever done with fire. Venezuelan asado negro, mamona llanera on a spit over open flame, and the parrilla tradition that runs through both countries share the same DNA: community, abundance, and fire as a reason to gather. I’ve eaten across Bogotá, Cali, Caracas, and the Colombian llanos. This is that tradition.