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Several teachers and students have advised me to buy my meat only at Hipermas, PriceSmart, and AutoMercado. The remainder of this info was given to me by another student. Meat is sold in Costa Rica by the kilo. Some grocery stores have cut, pre-packaged meats, but in most, you need to order it at the meat counter. At the meat counter as well as in the carnicerias (meat markets), you must choose for and ask for your own cuts of meat. - 1 kilo (un kilo) = 2.2 lbs (pounds) = 1,000 grams
- 1/2 kilo (medio kilo) = 1.1 lbs (pounds) = 500 grams
- Smaller amounts and sliced lunch meat can be purchased by the gram.
At the counter, you would say, for example: "Deme medio kilo de milanesa de res por favor." (please give me 1 pound of thinly sliced beef).
Beef - Carne de Res (Most beef here is not grain fed or aged - it is very tough, unless tenderized.) Common Cuts: - Lomito - tenderest cuts (filet mignon, tenderloin)
- Lomo - less tender, cheaper, more common cuts (round steak, loin)
- Milanesa - thin slices of any cuts
- Bistec - beef steak
- Came para sopa - soup bones with meat
- Trocitos de Res - small chunks of beef for beef stew
- Costillas - ribs
- Posta de Cuarto - a chunk for roasting or stewing, usually from the leg
- Carne Molida - ground meat, hamburger. Usually comes in 2 grades:
- especial - choice, made from lean meats
- corriente or cuarto molido - fatter, lower-priced
- Mano de Piedra - brisket, very tough, used for slow cooking, stewing or tenderizing and cooked as corned beef.
- Came para Sudar - tough meat for stewing, slow cooking, pressure cooking
- Ternero - veal
Pork - Carne de Cerdo Common Cuts: - Posta de Cerdo - pork roast
- Chuletas - pork chops. They come fresh or chuletas ahumadas which are smoked.
- Chorizo - sausage
- Tocineta or tocino - bacon
- Salchichas - hot dogs (***make sure you take the plastic wrapping off of each one***)
Chicken - Pollo Common Cuts: - Pollo entero - whole chicken that often includes the head, feet, and lungs stuffed inside the body cavity! When ordering, to be safe, ask for "un pollo limpio" which comes without the extras.
- Muslo - thigh attached to the drumstick (dark meat)
- Muslito de Muslo - just the drumstick
- Pechuga - breast, white meat
- Pechuga Deshuesada - de-boned chicken breast
- Alas - wings
- Muslos de Alas - the meatier part of the wings
- Higados de Pollo - chicken patties made of pressed chicken parts and breaded for frying. Keep frozen until you are ready to fry them!
- Huevos - eggs. Sold by the kilo, even if in an egg carton. Sometimes sold in paper or plastic bags in which case, you can buy 1/2 kilo or often found in cartons of 15 covered with plastic wrap.
Fish - Pescado and Seafood - Mariscos: Fish is sometimes pre-packaged, but more commonly sold by cut in grocery stores or mariscarias (seafood stores). Most is salt-water fish. Common Kinds: - Pargo rojo - red snapper
- Corvinna - white sea bass
- Dorado - mahi, mahi (dolphin fish)
- Trucha - fresh water trout
- Telapia - fresh water Nile perch
- Camarones - shrimp, can be purchased fresh, frozen or dried.
- Atun - tuna, can be bought fresh or canned, packed in water or oil: with or without vegetables.
- Sardinas - sardines, usually only canned
- Pulpo - octopus
- Calamares - squid
- Ostiones - oysters
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