A Meat-Lover’s Guide to Bike Tours

The Uruguayan asado is more than just a barbecue; it’s a social linchpin, a strongly rooted custom, and a symbol of friendship. Juicy sausages, hunks of steak sprinkled with rock salt, and racks of short ribs sizzle over embers or hot coals (the Uruguayans prefer this to the charcoal used in neighboring Argentina). The barbecue master is also the master of ceremonies, rewarded by a hungry crowd with praise and applause for perfectly cooked meat. If they get it wrong, however, the grill master is subject to taunts that require they redeem themselves with another asado. Typically served with a simple salad and locally produced wine, the Uruguayan asado is the perfect way to get a taste of local food and culture. Join us for an asado on our Uruguay bike tour.

Burgundy’s forests, vineyards, and rolling pastures create a cuisine deeply grounded in the versatile flavors of the earth. Sample opulent stews simmered over wooden stoves, juicy andouillette sausages, and wild game served with golden chanterelle mushrooms. Thanks to the region’s south-facing slopes and moist, cool climate, Burgundy produces fantastic wines that are used as the base for several regional specialties. Similarly to coq au vin, the famous boeuf bourguignon is made by marinating meat in red wine, then braising it with bacon, garlic, parsley, thyme, mushrooms, and vegetables. Adventurous meat-lovers get their fill with regional delicacies ranging from calf’s head to beef tongue. Explore these savory traditions on our Burgundy Bike Tour.

Literally meaning “slowly, slowly,” the Italian phrase “piano, piano” are words of wisdom at the Tuscan dinner table. Italians enjoy long, luxurious meals and will show you love through platters of Tuscan cappocollo salume and homemade parpardelle pasta smothered in wild boar ragu. Make sure to save room for the meat course, which comes after the appetizer and the pasta. Chow down like a local with a sizzling bistecca alla fiorentina served extra rare, sprinkled liberally with chunks of salt, and drizzled in extra virgin olive oil. Italians eat seasonally, so if you’re there in the fall don’t miss the wild game: boar, deer, and pheasant. A rich, flavorful wild boar stew called chinghiale in umido is the perfect way to warm up after a chilly autumn bike ride. Feast with us on a Tuscany Bike Tour.

Ornately decorated Moroccan pots called tagine cook meat to a buttery, fall-apart consistency. These ornate slow-cookers work their magic by allowing steam to rise into the cone, condense, and then fall back down to baste the meat. The flavorful end result is served with Moroccan bread (khobz) for scooping up the meat and sauce. Lovers of sweet and savory should try beef or lamb tagine topped with prunes. The tagine infuses the meat with fragrant flavors of ginger, saffron, cinnamon, and onion. It’s then topped with prunes poached in cinnamon and honey and served with a garnish of crunchy fried almonds. Sample this rich, aromatic tagine dish for yourself on DuVine’s Morocco Bike Tour.

Famous for its huge, tasty roasts, central Spain is a carnivore’s paradise. Muslim dominance of mainland Spain left a culinary legacy of succulent lamb dishes like braised lamb shank with rosemary and garlic. When the Reconquista converted people to Catholicism, one way to show allegiance to the new rulers was to eat pork, a food forbidden in the Islamic faith. Rioja’s economy and climate weren’t conducive to raising larger breeds like cattle, so pigs quickly became the country’s preferred protein. Roasted suckling pig gained popularity in the mid-20th century, thanks to a Segovia tavern that served pork dishes theatrically accompanied by a song. The dish remains popular to this day: served with a crispy crust and a few sprigs of thyme, cochinillo pairs beautifully with a splash of local wine on your Rioja Bike Tour.

The Czech love of meat starts in the stroller, when parents tempt two-year-olds with sausages to get them to stop crying. As you might expect, these baby bribes are but one of a wide array of meat dishes to choose from—Czech cuisine only gets more filling and addictive. Bite into the snappy skin of a juicy grilled kielbasa as you wander around Wenceslas Square. Order roast pork, dumplings, and stewed cabbage (vepřo-knedlo-zelo) or thin, fried pork schnitzel for dinner. Head to a beer garden to wash down steak tartare served on garlicky toast with freshly poured Pilsner. Then wake up the next morning to start it all over again with sausages for breakfast. Sample Czech meat specialties with us on a Czech Republic + Austria Bike Tour.

Diversity is the name of the game when it comes to carnivorous options in South Africa. The country’s exotic biodiversity yields a smorgasbord of meat options: try kudu (antelope) and springbok for a twist on venison, or taste something more adventurous like warthog, zebra, and crocodile meat. South Africa is home to over 80% of the world’s ostriches, making ostrich meat a popular, healthy red meat alternative.

A South African meat-centric tradition is braai, a social gathering that involves grilling an array of meat over wood or charcoal fires. The spread may include South African sausages called boerewors, Malay-style marinated lamb sosatie kebabs, and T-bone steaks accompanied by traditional pap corn porridge and spicy chakalaka tomato and onion relish.

The perfect cycling snack, cured, spiced meats are a national favorite. Pack chewy, piquant strips of meat called biltong in your jersey pocket and refuel on sophisticated Slim Jim-like dried beef known as Droëwors. Join us for a braai and more on a South Africa Bike Tour.