You know how foodies get excited over the latest dining trends? It’s certainly the churrasco’s turn these days, but the fascination for it is bound to be anything but fleeting. Barbecue is already considered a menu staple in many cuisines; after all, it doesn’t get any more radical than that. The practice probably went all the way back to the cavemen. What’s more basic than cooking skewered meat over an open fire? For this reason, there are barbecue variations all over the world.
In the wild pampas of Brazil, there came about a nifty barbecue style, courtesy of those fascinating gauchos. What was an unassuming cooking method that made those tough meat portions softer and more palatable eventually achieved fame as an important element in traditional Brazilian cuisine. Those rugged cowboys probably never expected their seemingly crude, albeit supremely effective, cooking style to become a popular food trend going around the most cosmopolitan sections of the world.
Across the globe in Australia, The Copa Brazilian Churrasco is the go-to place for an authentic Brazilian barbecue experience. It is the official Canberra authority on all things churrasco. To educate the masses, it shares some bits of trivia about this distinct barbecue style.
For instance, did you know that the consumption of a traditional churrasco lasts a few hours? The practice is all about slow cooking and slow eating, so diners typically eat the meat in layers as it slowly cooks. You’re typically not supposed to eat anything else before or after as the meal itself could possibly take all day. To prepare other types of meat such as pork, lamb, chicken, goat, or even seafood for cooking, you may use all sorts of marinades and sauces, but since beef is the main churrasco meat, there’s a special treatment for it. The rub used is pretty basic, using salt and garlic. The preparation process also simply involves basting with water and sea salt. Positioning is key for a full churrasco flavor. Fatty portions are placed at the top of the skewer so that the fat drips on the meat portions below it, effectively seasoning them. In any case, the design of the fire pit and the placement of the skewers make for even, oven-style cooking, which also traps all those yummy juices within the meat.
In a traditional Brazilian churrascaria such as The Copa Brazilian Churrasco, service is done rodizio-style, which means waiters go around with skewers of meat, slicing portions onto the diners’ plates. This practice definitely allows for a more authentic churrasco experience.
The churrasco has certainly conquered the dining world. With rich flavors and tender meat, it will go on being a favorite foodie fare.
About the Author:
Karren Colstone works as a food critic. She has been in this field for five years now. Her specialty is desserts but she also has a background in other courses and types of food and dishes. She maintains a blog about food where she shares her experiences in dining at different kinds of restaurants. She highly recommends this restaurant in Canberra for authentic Gaucho-style barbecue and dining: http://thecopabrazilianchurrasco.com.au/.
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