''Churrasco'' (, ) is the Portuguese and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

name for grilled

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

prominent in South American and Iberian cuisines, and in particular in Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The term is also used in other Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries for a variety of different meat products. The related Brazilian term '' churrascaria'' (or ''churrasquería'') is mostly understood to be a

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse is a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as fish and other seafood. History Choph ...

restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as one can eat: servers move around the restaurant with skewers, slicing meat onto the customer's plate. This serving style is called ''espeto corrido'' or '' rodízio'', and is quite popular in Brazil, especially in southern states like

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

, Paraná, and Santa Catarina.

''Churrasco'' by country

In Brazil, ''churrasco'' is the term for a barbecue (similar to the Argentine and Uruguayan ''

asado ' () is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries: especially Argentina, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay where it is also a traditional eve ...

'') which originated in southern Brazil. It uses a variety of meats, pork, sausage and chicken which may be cooked on a purpose-built '' churrasqueira'', a

barbecue grill A barbecue grill or barbeque grill (known as a barbecue in Canada and barbecue or barbie in Australia and New Zealand) is a device that cooks food by applying heat from below. There are several varieties of grills, with most falling into one of t ...

, often with supports for spits or skewers. A home equipped with a churrasqueira is a main selling point for properties in Southern Brazil. Portable ''churrasqueiras'' are similar to those used to prepare the Argentine and Uruguayan ''asado'', with a grill support, but many Brazilian ''churrasqueiras'' do not have grills, only the skewers above the

ember An ember, also called a hot coal, is a hot lump of smouldering solid fuel, typically glowing, composed of greatly heated wood, coal, or other carbon-based material. Embers (hot coals) can exist within, remain after, or sometimes precede, a ...

s. 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

). In Nicaragua, the first immigrant group to introduce the term for this cut of beef to the United States restaurant scene in

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

as early as the 1950s, it refers to a skirt steak prepared grilled and served with a traditional ''

chimichurri () is an uncooked sauce used as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. Found originally in Argentina and used in Argentinian cuisine, Argentinian, Uruguayan cuisine, Uruguayan, Paraguayan cuisine, Paraguayan and ...

'' sauce made with macerated parsley, garlic, peppers, and olive oil sauce. In Argentina and Uruguay, a ''churrasco'' refers to any boneless cut of beef that is sliced slightly thin as a steak and grilled over hot coals or on a very hot skillet. In the Dominican Republic and

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, it always refers to

skirt steak Skirt steak is the US name for a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is distinct from hanger steak (US), also called skirt (UK) or onglet (France), a generally similar a ...

, cooked on a

. The ''chimichurri'' sauce is optional, since the meat is very savory with just a slight hint of

sea salt Sea salt is salt that is produced by the evaporation of seawater. It is used as a seasoning in foods, cooking, cosmetics and for preserving food. It is also called bay salt, solar salt, or simply salt. Like mined rock salt, production of sea sal ...

that is sprinkled over the meat during cooking. In Puerto Rico, it is also customary to replace ''chimichurri'' sauce with a guava rum sauce made with spices and 7up or ''

Ajilimójili Ajilimójili is a hot or hot and sweet chili sauce from Puerto Rico, traditionally served over grilled seafood, vegetables, pasteles, boiled tuber vegetables and especially grilled meats. Description Ajilimójili is a combination of olive oil ...

'' sauce. In Ecuador ''churrasco'' is a staple food of the Coast Region, especially

Guayaquil Guayaquil (), officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest city in Ecuador and also the nation's economic capital and main port. The city is the capital (political), capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton. The city is ...

. The dish's main ingredient is the grilled steak that is seasoned with ''chimichurri'', it is served with plantains, white rice, French fries, a fried egg, and slices of avocado. 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 Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

guacamole Guacamole (; informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisin ...

, grilled potatoes, stewed black beans, rice, and

tortillas A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread from Mesoamerica originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indi ...

. In Chile, ''churrasco'' refers to a thin cut of

steak A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce. Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...

which varies depending on the desired quality of the sandwich. The slices are grilled and served in a -sometimes warmed-local bun (called '' marraqueta'', or ''pan batido'' in Valparaíso), 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 Portugal, ''frango de churrasco'' with ''

piri piri Piri piri ( ), often hyphenated or as one word, and with variant spellings peri-peri () or pili pili, is a cultivar of ''Capsicum frutescens'' from the malagueta pepper. It was originally produced by Portuguese explorers in Portugal's form ...

'' (a kind of salty roasted chicken cooked on the '' churrasqueira'', spiced with hot red chili sauce, garlic, and paprika) is very popular. Portuguese ''churrasco'' and chicken dishes are very popular in countries with Portuguese communities, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, South Africa, Zimbabwe (

Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

) and Venezuela. The term ''churrasco'' is also 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 with them the recipe for ''churrasco''. Nowadays, many Galicians of all social classes prepare a ''churrascada''. In the mainland United States, ''churrasco''-style restaurants have grown in popularity since the 1990s, fueled by the success of various chains, including Rodizio Grill, Texas de Brazil, Fogo de Chão, and Tucanos, as well as stand-alone Brazilian barbecue restaurants. In the mainland United States, "Churrasco" is a registered trademark for rotisserie/grills manufactured by Hickory Industries, Inc. of

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a Borough (New Jersey), borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades (Hudson River), The Palisades. As of the 2020 Uni ...

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References

External links

* {{Barbecue Argentine cuisine Grilled skewers Brazilian cuisine Culture of Brazil Chilean sandwiches Nicaraguan cuisine Portuguese cuisine Uruguayan cuisine Paraguayan cuisine Puerto Rican cuisine Bolivian cuisine Ecuadorian cuisine Guatemalan cuisine Galician cuisine Beef steak dishes Cuisine of the South region of Brazil Symbols of Rio Grande do Sul

''Churrasco'' by country

See also

References

External links