Cuy — Nariño whole grilled guinea pig

Keep the raw cuy cold Refrigerate the cuy at 4°C / 40°F or below until you are ready to season it. Keep it in a leakproof dish on the lowest shelf, separate from ready-to-eat foods. Wash your hands and use a separate board and utensils. Do not rinse raw meat; splashes can spread its juices around the sink and counter. If the supplier has not cleaned the cavity, ask them to finish preparing it for cooking.

Mix the measured marinade Stir together the garlic, chopped scallion, lemon juice, 10 ml of the oil, salt, pepper and optional cumin and achiote. Set aside the remaining 10 ml of clean oil before it touches the meat; this is for basting. Pat the cuy dry with disposable paper towels. Rub the seasoning over the outside and inside the cleaned cavity, then place it in a covered, nonreactive dish.

Marinate under refrigeration Refrigerate for 6–12 hours, turning the cuy once if the dish allows. Do not leave it at room temperature. The lemon seasons the surface; it does not make raw meat safe. If you prefer a shorter rest, season it for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, understanding that the flavor will be less developed.

Prepare the charcoal grill Set up a charcoal grill with a stable bed of medium-hot embers and a secure rotisserie or grill rack that can hold the whole animal. Keep a cooler area available so you can move the cuy away from flare-ups. Let the flames die down before grilling; direct high flames can blacken the outside while the thick parts remain undercooked. If using a rotisserie, secure the cuy firmly and confirm it turns without slipping.

Grill slowly and turn often Place the cuy over the embers or on the rack. Turn it frequently so all sides brown gradually; a rotisserie can turn continuously. Begin checking after about 60 minutes. A 1 kg animal often takes 75–100 minutes, but the fire and shape can change that. Brush with the reserved clean oil and scallion leaves. Do not brush with raw marinade unless you first bring it to a full boil; discard any marinade that touched raw meat. If the skin browns too quickly, move the cuy farther from the embers.

Check temperature in several spots Insert a clean food thermometer into multiple thick meat locations, avoiding bone, and check the thickest part near the shoulder and thigh. Use a cautious home endpoint of at least 74°C / 165°F throughout. No cuy-specific consumer temperature standard was located; this is a conservative recipe control, not a species-specific legal standard. If any location is below the target, continue grilling and check again. Color and crisp skin do not confirm safe doneness.

Rest, portion and store safely Transfer the cooked cuy to a clean platter and rest for 10 minutes. Portion at the table with clean utensils. Serve with potatoes or mote if you like; those accompaniments are documented regionally, though they are not part of the measured cuy yield. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C / 165°F.