Kid
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Restaurant Name: Pipiripau
Dish Name: Kid
Ingredients
Roasted or al pastor-style goat is actually very simple to prepare. A good young goat, a little salt, and some patience are all it takes to work the magic. Skewer the goat on a spit so you can rotate it over the coals, ensuring it cooks evenly on all sides. Start by cooking the front part of the legs, then flip it over to cook the breast and shoulder. Now on the other side, underneath, and on top—and it’s ready. Cut it into pieces and serve with our traditional borracha sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. It needs nothing else.
History
Ell Pipiripau
The story began more than 50 years ago with the butcher shop my grandfather ran at the Juárez Market. My dad and my uncles helped out at the butcher shop and around the market in general when they were young. They were always there to help my grandfather. As they grew up, they also helped out at other businesses in the market and the surrounding area.
My dad used to talk fondly about his days as a waiter, dishwasher, errand boy, and a bit of everything else at “El Galván”—a downtown restaurant where he learned everything, including how to prepare goat.
What I remember is that my dad and his brothers—all members of the band Los Plebeyos—started working on projects outside the band when they scaled back their touring schedule a bit. It was as if they were preparing to change direction. That’s my take on it. I don’t know if that’s exactly how they saw it.
My uncle Gilberto had already been selling raw goat meat for some time, following the family tradition. Later, Jorge, Francisco, and José Juan joined him to open a roasted goat restaurant. The restaurant was located on the first floor of the market.
About 30 years ago, I happened to witness the opening of the restaurant on the second floor—a place so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was a really nice project, more of a restaurant than what was already on the first floor of the market. I remember the chairs they put in—super elegant, leather, and they even reclined. My dad and my uncles wanted everyone, regardless of social class, to be able to enjoy cabrito, the region’s most traditional dish.
They did everything they could to get the word out about the place. I remember there was even a live wrestling match once. There they were, La Pimpinela Escarlata and La Parca, fighting right in the middle of the restaurant. They jumped over the tables until they reached the market plaza, where a large crowd had gathered. My uncle José Juan came up with the idea of offering a buffet as a draw to attract more diners. And so, little by little, the restaurant—which is the one that’s open today—started to build up a clientele.
