Brazilian Barbecue

If you spend any time in Brazil or even meet a Brazilian, you will soon learn that Brazil has a strong tradition of barbecue, or churrasco in Portuguese.  People outside of Brazil can experience this in a Brazilian barbecue restaurant/ steak house, called a churrascaria.  These restaurants are very popular in Brazil and are become very popular in other countries as well. 

A churrascaria is essentially an all you can eat restaurant where you get salad, rice and beans from a buffet and the meat is brought to your table on skewers.  The quality and price varies hugely across types of churrascarias.  At the budget end of the market, the meat will usually be cheaper cuts of meat, maybe with the better cuts appearing occasionally, but not too often.  The buffet will be more basic as well, consisting of salad, farofa (fried cassava flour with bacon, egg, onion, garlic, olives (and other variations) – tastes much better than it sounds!), rice and beans.  The quality of the meat at these budget churrascarias is usually reasonable and represents good value for money.  More upmarket restaurants will offer a much more varied buffet, adding fine cheeses, extra salad options and various side dishes.  I have been to a few restaurants where I have been almost tempted to fill up my plate at the buffet, before remembering the star attraction.  The meat at these upscale churrascarias is obviously of a better quality.  You will see the nicer cuts of meat appearing much more frequently as well as more options, such as lamb marinated in garlic, pork wrapped in bacon to name but two examples I’ve seen.  One place I’ve been in Curitiba even brings round pasta dishes as well as having a sushi bar.  Most churrascarias I’ve been to in the UK and USA are more towards the high end, although they never quite measure up to the best in Brazil.  If you are in an area with several churrascarias, find out where the Brazilians go – probably more authentic, less flashy and better value for money.  In the San Francisco Bay Area, there are loads, but they generally go for style over substance, most Brazilians go to Cleo’s in San Bruno which is very good quality at a reasonable price (note – Cleo’s is not paying me to say this!)

A typical churrascaria

The first time you visit a churrascaria, it is tempted to get over-excited and accept every piece of meat that is brought round, leave you with a pile of food going cold on your plate – I’ve been there!  Unless you are in a very poor quality place (I can think of one in Oxford which has (surprise surprise) now closed down) then they will soon be back with more of the same meat, so take your time and enjoy it while it’s hot!  You can always request your favourite cut as well!  A good way to finish off the meal is with a slice of pineapple, grilled with sugar and cinnamon.  Not only is it tasty, but it is also a good aid to digestion and you may well need all the help you can get!

This style of barbecue is the style known as churrasco gaúcho, which originated in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and is popular throughout the South of Brazil.  Cooking individual steaks on a barbecue grill is generally referred to as churrasco Paulista – São Paulo-style barbecue.  Sunday lunchtime is the most popular time for a barbecue, although any time or occasion can become an excuse for a churrasco!  Depending on the amount of guests, one or two large cuts of meat will be slowly roasted for several hours, before eating with salad, farofa, maionese (potato salad) and rice.  Appetisers are usually sausages, chicken hearts or bits of meat that can cooked quicker on the barbecue and passed around on a plate with farinha de mandioca (cassava flour).

Brazil still has quite a macho culture and barbecues are typically the responsibility of the men, with the women being left to prepare the rice, salad and other accompaniments.  More often than not, the men will gather around the fire, passing around a large caipirinha glass (none of your delicate little cocktails here…) or drinking beer and talking about football.

Churrasco Meat

The names for cuts of beef vary by country so most of the cuts used in Brazilian barbecue don’t have a direct equivalent in other countries, although you can usually get close enough.  The Wikipedia page on cuts of beef provides a good description of the different cuts in several countries.  Here are some of the more common meats:

Picanha

Picanha

Picanha is one of the most popular cuts of meat for barbecues, indeed I have heard people say (mostly in São Paulo) that without picanha, it isn’t barbecue.  I know plenty people in the South that would disagree with that sentiment, but most agree that picanha is among the best cuts.  The picanha is a triangular cut of meat that could be translated as the rump cap.  The closest equivalent British cut would probably be the top of the topside and US churrascarias usually call it top sirloin.  (According to various diagrams for US cuts, the top sirloin is not actually where the picanha is, so either they misname it, or use a different cut and call it picanha.)

In a churrascaria, picanha is usually cut into wide strips and then folded on the skewer such that the layer of fat sits on the outside forming a ‘C’ shape.  The meat is then carved off from the flat sides.  When doing a barbecue at home, most people either cut the picanha into steaks and grill them, or skewer the entire piece and roast it.

Costela

Fogo de chão with costela

The Costela (rib) is particularly popular in the South.  It needs to be roasted very slowly and high above the fire for best results.  Costela is the cut most often associated with fogo de chão: literally translated as fire on the ground, this consists of a fire with meat on large skewers driven into the ground. 

Alcatra

This could also be called top and bottom sirloin, but the closest British equivalent would probably be the rump.  Alcatra is another very popular cut, almost as much as picanha.

Costelinha de Porco

Costelinha (literally little ribs, as the word ‘costela’ on its own typically refers to beef ribs) of pork is a popular barbecue meat, although I haven’t see it so often at churrascarias – probably as it does not easily lend itself to carving off a skewer.  Some more high end churrascarias may bring round costelinha de porco (or even costela) in serving dishes and then carve it at the table, but this isn’t very common.  The usual way to cook costelinha is to skewer it and slowly roast it over a high heat.

Coração de Frango

Coração de frango, pork medallions and linguiça 

Chicken hearts are a common part of a Brazilian barbecue and rather tasty.  In a churrascaria, they tend to come round on skewers with all the other meats, although for barbecues at home, they tend to be served as an appetiser on a plate with some farinha de mandioca.

Linguiça

Linguiça is a type of thick, pork sausage, popular in barbecues.  Much like coração de frango, it is a common addition to a churrascaria or as an appetiser at home; sliced with farinha de mandioca.