Stewed Enigma

         In Albuquerque, Sue & I were looking for a grocery store and a spot to have lunch when we came across a large Mexican grocery store.  It was as fascinating as the Chinese grocery store we wondered though in Chinatown in Manhattan. We noticed this place had a cafeteria with a large selection of Mexican dishes.  There was one that looked like Ziti the large Italian pasta.  I asked what it was but the lady behind the counter didn’t speak English and I couldn’t follow much of her Spanish.  I got the idea it was beef.  She called another lady over to translate for us.  The other lady took a big spoon, stirred the dish and said, “Beef intestines.” No, I’m not going to have that.  I looked at the other dozen or so dishes and couldn’t identify any of them.  I said to myself, “Well, I’m on vacation. I’m on an adventure, so I said I’ll have some of that,” and pointed to what looked like stewed pork-chops.  I got some beans, rice and tortillas to go along with it.  I got to my table, plopped some of the meat in a tortilla with some salsa, took a bite, and it felt like the meat was just a chunk of fat.  It tasted good, melted my my mouth, but had all the characteristics of a hunk of pork fat one sometimes gets at a bar-B-Q.  I grabbed another piece and it was the same; like eating pure fat.    I then looked at the meat.  What is this stuff I’m eating? I cut a chunk open and it had a vermillion look to it.  It was not fat and it was not muscle fiber.  I continued eating and moving it around on my plate but I couldn’t figure out what it was.  Is it some kinda sweetbreads? Gee, its probably lights or brains, or menudo soup made with stomach. The main ingredient of Chorizo sausage is sometimes salivary gland, I could have been eating salivary gland or lymph nodes, or testicles.  I finished most of the plate.  I am no Anthony Bourdain, I didn’t relish the mystery.  I didn’t become ill and the meal stuck with me all day.  All in all it tasted good. I’ll just chalk it up to being one of life's culinary conundrums.   We have been eating a lot of Mexican food out here.