Cabeza guateada
vaka akangué yvyguy («cabeza de vaca bajo tierra»)
Beef head seasoned and cooked for hours underground among embers: a country barbecue made with patience.
What it is
Cabeza guateada (or “guatia”) is a typical preparation from Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. “Guatiar” refers to a cow’s head, skinned, with salt and seasonings, cooked in a clay oven or buried. The simplest version is to wash the head, put it in a pit among burning embers and cover everything with earth. A more elaborate preparation seasons it with chopped garlic, oregano, salt and ground chili, wraps it in a wet cloth and lowers it into a hole with embers and tin sheets, which is covered with mud and ashes. It is left to cook for about twelve hours. With a clay oven, twelve to fourteen.
Ingredients
History
It is an earth-cooking technique, related to Mexican barbacoa and the Andean huatia, and is closely tied to cattle-ranching culture.
Did you know…?
Wikipedia lists it among the roasts of Paraguayan cuisine, together with asado a la estaca and asado a la olla.
When
Big gatherings; it takes a full day of cooking.
Where
In the Paraguayan and northeastern Argentine countryside.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.