Up to 5 hours takes the cooking of traditional Patagonian Lamb. The Vaqueano, starts preparing everything at 7 am, in order for the lamb to be slowly cooked to perfection. More like a ritual than just a meal, the meat is placed next to the fire, at a precise distance, for it to be within the grasp of hot air but no flames. Soft and tender, the flesh retains the smell and flavor of the fat while it goes away during this "long exposure" food tradition.