Churrasco

Churrasco by country

In Brazil, churrasco refers to a style of barbecue that came from the southern part of the country, similar to the asado found in Argentina and Uruguay. It features a range of meats like pork, sausage, and chicken, all cooked on a special grill called a churrasqueira, which often has supports for spits or skewers. Having a churrasqueira at home is a big selling point for houses in Southern Brazil. Portable versions look like those used for asado, with a grill support, but many Brazilian churrasqueiras skip the grill entirely and just use skewers set above the hot embers.

The meat can also be cooked on large metal or wooden skewers that rest on a support or are stuck into the ground, using charcoal embers; in Rio Grande do Sul, wood is sometimes used instead. In Nicaragua, the term was first brought to the United States restaurant scene in Miami, Florida by an immigrant group as early as the 1950s. There, churrasco means a grilled skirt steak served with a traditional chimichurri sauce made from macerated parsley, garlic, peppers, and olive oil.

In Argentina and Uruguay, a churrasco is any boneless cut of beef sliced into a thin steak and grilled over hot coals or on a very hot skillet. In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, it always means skirt steak cooked on a barbecue grill. Chimichurri sauce is optional there because the meat is already very savory with just a light sprinkle of sea salt during cooking. In Puerto Rico, chimichurri is sometimes swapped for a guava rum sauce made with spices and 7up, or for Ajilimójili sauce.

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