Churrasco

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Typical Brazilian churrasco. From left to right and down, fraldinha (meat cut), Picanha, chicken heart, sausages, bread with garlic sauce, sliced picanhas with garlic and chicken legs

Churrasco is a Spanish and Portuguese term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a primary dish in the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Uruguay and other Latin American countries.

A churrascaria is a restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as you can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the client's plate.^[1] This serving style is called Espeto Corrido or Rodizio.

[edit] In Latin America

In Argentina, Uruguay and in the South of Brazil a churrasco is a thick cut of skirt steak.^[2] Gauchos would have grilled churrasco as part of their asado, now the national dish of both countries, served with chimichurri, salad and fried or mashed potatoes, and sometimes a fried egg.

In Nicaragua churrasco is tenderloin steak.^[2] It may be served with chimichurri sauce as in Argentina and is a very traditional dish in the country. Nicaraguan style churrasco is famous in Cuba, Thailand, Nigeria, and the US state of Texas.

In Guatemala, churrasco is regarded as a typical dish, often eaten in familiar gatherings and festive occasions. It is usually served topped with chirmol, a red sauce containing chopped tomatoes and onions, and accompanied by corn, guacamole, grilled potatoes , stewed black beans, rice and tortillas.

In Puerto Rico, churrasco is skirt or flank steak, which is grilled or stewed with peppers & onions.

In Chile, churrasco refers to a thin cut of steak which varies depending on the desired quality of the sandwich. The slices are grilled and served on a toasted bun, usually accompanied with tomato, avocado and mayonnaise, in the case of a churrasco italiano. Another popular dish, churrasco a lo pobre ("poor man's churrasco"), consists of a churrasco served with french fries, fried egg, and caramelized onions.

In Brazil, churrasco is the term for a barbecue, similar to the Argentine asado, which originated in southern Brazil. Brazilian churrasco contains a variety of meats which may be cooked on a purpose-built "churrasqueira", a grill or barbecue, often with supports for spits or skewers.^[3] Portable "churrasqueiras" are similar to those used to prepare the Argentinian and Uruguayan asado, with a grill support, but many Brazilian "churrasqueiras" do not have grills, only the skewers above the embers. The meat may alternatively be cooked on large metal or wood skewers resting on a support or stuck into the ground and roasted with the embers of charcoal (wood may also be used, especially in the State of Rio Grande do Sul).

[edit] In Europe

In Portugal, Frango de Churrasco with piri piri (a kind of salty roasted chicken cooked on the churrasqueira, spiced with hot red chili sauce) is very popular and appreciated. Portuguese churrasco and chicken dishes are very popular in countries with Portuguese communities, such as Canada, Australia, Venezuela and South Africa.

The term churrasco is used in former Portuguese colonies—a Churrasco Moçambicano is a grilled meat dish from Mozambique, for instance.

In Galicia, churrasco refers almost exclusively to grilled pork or beef spare-ribs. Galicians who emigrated to America in the 20th century took the recipe for churrasco. Nowadays many Galicians of all social classes prepare a churrascada.

[edit] See also

• Cuisine of Nicaragua
• List of Brazilian dishes

[edit] References