Churrasco

Churrasco refers to grilled beef, a staple in the cuisines of South America and the Iberian Peninsula, especially in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. The word, used in both Portuguese and Spanish, can also describe various meat dishes in other Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations.

In Brazil, a churrascaria (or churrasquería) is a steakhouse where grilled meat is often served all-you-can-eat style. Servers move through the restaurant with skewers, slicing meat directly onto customers' plates. This method, known as espeto corrido or rodízio, is especially common in southern states like Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, and Santa Catarina. Brazilian churrasco itself is a barbecue tradition that originated in the south, similar to the Argentine and Uruguayan asado.

It features a variety of meats—pork, sausage, and chicken—cooked on a churrasqueira, a specialized grill often built with supports for skewers. In southern Brazil, a home with a built-in churrasqueira is a major selling point. Portable versions resemble those used for asado, with a grill grate, but many Brazilian churrasqueiras lack grills, relying solely on skewers suspended over embers. The meat can also be cooked on large metal or wooden skewers stuck into the ground and roasted over charcoal or wood, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul.

In Nicaragua, the term was introduced to the United States restaurant scene in Miami, Florida, as early as the 1950s. There, it denotes skirt steak, grilled and served with a traditional chimichurri sauce made from parsley, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. In Argentina and Uruguay, a churrasco is any boneless beef cut sliced thin as a steak and grilled over hot coals or in a very hot skillet.

In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, it always refers to skirt steak cooked on a barbecue grill. Chimichurri is optional, as the meat is flavorful with just a sprinkle of sea salt during cooking. In Puerto Rico, chimichurri is often replaced with a guava rum sauce spiced with 7Up, or with ajilimójili sauce.

In Ecuador, churrasco is a staple of the Coast Region, especially Guayaquil. The main ingredient is grilled steak seasoned with chimichurri, served with plantains, white rice, French fries, a fried egg, and avocado slices. In Guatemala, churrasco is a typical dish for family gatherings and festive occasions, often topped with chirmol—a red sauce of chopped tomatoes and onions—and accompanied by corn, guacamole, grilled potatoes, stewed black beans, rice, and tortillas.

In Chile, churrasco is a thin steak cut, varying in quality depending on the sandwich desired. The grilled slices are served in a warmed local bun (called marraqueta or pan batido in Valparaíso), often with tomato, avocado, and mayonnaise, as in a churrasco italiano. Another popular dish, churrasco a lo pobre ("poor man's churrasco"), includes French fries, a fried egg, and caramelized onions.

In Portugal, frango de churrasco with piri piri—a salty roasted chicken cooked on the churrasqueira and spiced with hot red chili sauce, garlic, and paprika—is very popular. Portuguese churrasco and chicken dishes are common in countries with Portuguese communities, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela. The term is also used in former Portuguese colonies; churrasco moçambicano is a grilled meat dish from Mozambique.

In Galicia, churrasco refers almost exclusively to grilled pork or beef spare ribs. Galician emigrants to the Americas in the 20th century brought the recipe with them, and today many Galicians of all social classes prepare a churrascada.

In the mainland United States, churrasco-style restaurants have grown in popularity since the 1990s, driven by chains such as Rodizio Grill, Texas de Brazil, Fogo de Chão, and Tucanos, as well as independent Brazilian barbecue restaurants. Additionally, "Churrasco" is a registered trademark for rotisserie and grill products manufactured by Hickory Industries, Inc. of Fort Lee, New Jersey.