Make your own Churrasco feast at home

WE fell in love with Mexican tacos and couldn't get enough of Spanish Tapas but now another spicy cuisine packed with punch is attracting Aussie diners in droves.

Churrasco

WE fell in love with Mexican tacos and couldn't get enough of Spanish Tapas but now another spicy cuisine packed with punch is attracting Aussie diners in droves.

Churrasco (pronounced, Shoo-Has-Co) is the term for barbeque and originated 300 years ago in the south of Brazil by the "Gauchos" Southern Brazilian cowboys who would head out onto the plains to search for only the highest grades of cattle.

Distinguished by premium cuts of beef skewered and slowly roasted over an open flame pit, this style of dining is definitely one for the carnivores.

The meat feast is accompanied by a variety of delicious marinades and side dishes often including rice, salad, potato, bread and of course a cold beer.

There’s no doubt that churrasco dining has captured the imagination of the Australian public. Ten years ago, it was virtually unknown; now dedicated churrascaria restaurants, are popping up in all major cities.

“Brazilian is definitely the hottest food of the moment, mainly because it captures that big world-wide trend for food that’s fun, social and interactive,” says Brodee Myers-Cooke, editor of Australian Good Taste.

“Food is all about sharing now – with everyone gathering around the table and digging in. Even fine dining is much less stitched up, much less formal.”

Below is a sneak peek recipe from the Brazilian BBQ feature in Australian Good Taste’s October issue, out Wednesday. To see more from their Brazilian BBQ feature click here.

Churrasco beef skewers with jalepeno and charred capsicum salsa

This dish relies on lots of salt to create a tasty crust on the beef.

Serves 6

Prep 10 mins (+ 10 mins standing & 5 mins resting time) Cooking 25 mins

Ingredients

1.25kg beef rump steak, cut into 5cm pieces
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs sea salt
Sour cream, to serve
jalapeño & charred capsicum salsa
1 large red capsicum
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 tbs drained pickled jalapeño chillies,
finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp caster sugar

Method

1 To make the jalapeño & charred capsicum salsa, preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high. Spray capsicum with olive oil. Cook, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until charred and tender. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes to stand.

2 Meanwhile, thread the beef onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers. Brush with oil and sprinkle both sides with the salt.

3 Peel the capsicum and discard skin. Remove the seeds. Coarsely chop. Combine the capsicum, garlic, chilli, coriander, oil, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Season.

4 Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high. Cook skewers for 3 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Rest for 5 minutes.

5 Serve skewers with the salsa and sour cream. Per serve 50g protein • 23g fat (9g saturated fat) 3g carb • 1g dietary fibre • 1770kJ (420 Cals)

Swap it

Try this with lamb steaks or pork scotch fillet steaks and cook to your liking. For a salsa twist, swap capsicum for chopped tomato.

Buy your own

A company called Everdure’s has developed a range of barbeques, perfect for South American cooking.

The eChurrasco, which retails for $349, provides a fast injection of heat to the charcoal beads placed inside the unit.

A whole array of food can be prepared over the coals, including red and white meats, fish and vegetables. Using the skewer accessory, users can replicate the kitchen churrasco experience of portioned meat cooked over coals.

This style of cooking provides that distinctive charcoal barbeque flavour without the hassle.