Rachael Lane - South American Grill

CONTENTS

South Americanstyle grilling is a carnivores delight. The barbecue tradition of South America originated on the fertile plains of Southern Brazil, Argentina, Patagonia (Southern Chile), Paraguay and Uruguay, where traditional cattlemen, known as gauchos, would herd their livestock. The gauchos would build large pit fires and cook whole carcasses splayed out on metal crosses and smaller pieces of meat skewered onto their knives over the remaining hot coals. The meat was seasoned with little more than some salt and perhaps a few herbs that they had collected along the way.

The flavours of South American food are as vibrant and varied as its people and landscape. Each country has its own unique native dishes as well as those that have developed and evolved from the food traditions brought to them by early colonisers, slaves and immigrants. The blending of native ingredients along with those imported and introduced from distant lands have created the myriad of spicy flavours indicative of South American cuisine and have helped shape the food culture to become what it is today.

These traditional styles of grilling are known as asado in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay and churrasco (shoo-ras-koo) in Brazil. Both of these terms are now commonly used to describe not only a way of cooking, but a broader social event the two cannot be separated. The events have evolved to become favourite national pastimes. In the countries of South America, no celebration, gathering or weekend is complete without a barbecue!

There are some unique differences between these two traditional cooking styles. The asados take whole splayed carcasses or large sections of meat and thread them onto metal crosses, which are then fixed into the ground around the hot coals of a wood fire. The meat is grilled slowly, imparting a smoky flavour to the meat. Smaller pieces of meat, or sausages and sweetmeats are often cooked on metal grill plates, known as parrillas, which are set over hot coals. Outdoor wood fire ovens, known as hornos, can also be used to roast large pieces of meat.

In Brazil, a churrasco barbecue involves the meat (the traditional cut known as picanha), chicken or sausage being threaded onto long metal skewers, or barbecue swords, and fixed onto a rotisserie where they are cooked over hot coals. Once cooked, the meat is sliced directly from the barbecue swords onto guests plates and served with piquant salsas and sauces, salads and complementary side dishes. Recipes for chicken, fish and seafood are sometimes marinated in herb and spice mixes or rolled and stuffed, and can be teamed with a selection of simpler sides.

For the modern home cook, recipes in this book have been written to suit the more convenient gas-style home barbecues. If you have the space, time and patience, then grilling over hot coal or wood-style barbecues will improve the meats lovely smoky flavour and contribute to the authenticity of the occasion. Rotisserie attachments are readily available and can easily be fitted to most barbecues that have a lid.

South American grilling is as much about entertaining as it is about taste and flavour. The focus is on bringing family and friends together it is not uncommon for the grill to be fired up all afternoon with drinks being passed around and various dishes being offered at different times and shared throughout the day. You can get ideas for dishes by consulting the structured menu plans that have been designed to suit .

Or, simply choose a couple of your favourite grills and team them with a selection of side dishes and salads. Of course, no South American meal would be complete without one or two sauces and salsas bursting with flavour, they are a must alongside most grilled meats.

A variety of appetisers have been included in the first chapter these are perfect for grazing on while the main grills are cooking and the perfect way to kick-start any gathering. Similarly, a range of traditional .

Most of the recipes in this book are pleasingly simple, while the more complex ones can be prepared in advance, which helps to keep you relaxed and free to socialise and enjoy the occasion. So, what are you waiting for? Pour yourself a drink and throw yourself into an all-day South American grilling feast!

Appetisers and Starters

CANCHA TOASTED CORN SNACK

These traditional snacks from Peru are great served with a beer and make the perfect start to a barbecue. The key ingredient, maiz mote pelado, are large dried white corn kernels and are available at Latin American food stores or can be purchased online. These corn kernels make a soft popping sound as they expand but do not fluff out in the same way as popcorn does, instead becoming deliciously crisp and crunchy.

2 CUPS (320 G/11 OZ) MAIZ MOTE PELADO (GIANT WHITE CORN)

2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL

2 TEASPOONS SEA SALT

1 TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA

Soak the maiz mote pelado in a bowl of cold water for 12 hours. Drain and spread out on a clean tea towel for 1 hour, to dry.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the corn and toss to coat in the oil. Cover and cook, shaking occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the kernels are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool.

When you are ready to serve, transfer the corn to a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and paprika and toss to coat.

SERVES 8

BROCHETA DE RIN A LA PARRILLA GRILLED KIDNEY SKEWERS

Offal is commonly served at a South American asado. The kidneys are soaked prior to cooking to help reduce their strong aroma and taste. They cook beautifully on the barbecue grill them until they are just pink in the centre. Avoid over-cooking, as this will cause them to become tough.

8 BAMBOO SKEWERS

6 LAMB KIDNEYS

1 TABLESPOON SEA SALT

2 TEASPOONS WHITE VINEGAR

40 G (1 OZ) BUTTER, MELTED

LEMON WEDGES, TO SERVE

Soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning during cooking. Rinse the kidneys under cold running water.

Fill a medium-sized bowl with cold water. Add the salt and vinegar and stir to dissolve the salt. Place the kidneys in the water, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Drain the kidneys and pat dry with paper towels. Slice each kidney lengthwise into four thin slices and thread onto the skewers.

Preheat a barbecue chargrill to mediumhigh. Brush the kidneys with a little of the melted butter and season with freshly ground black pepper. Cook the skewers for 2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked they should still be a little pink inside. Squeeze with lemon juice, and serve immediately.

MAKES 8

PERUVIAN CEVICHE

Peruvian ceviche differs from other variations of this dish, as it is only marinated or cooked in citrus juice for a short period of time, about 30 minutes. You can even drink the juice, known as