Saturday churrasco - Part 2 PICANHA

In my previous post, I mentioned how a typical Brazilian family churrasco consists of a series of grilled meats served directly from the grill and served in small bite-size pieces. There's often chicken or pork at a churrasco and sometimes even grilled coalho cheese but there is always beef of some sort. The majority of Brazilians are confirmed carnivores, and I'm sure a large majority would say that beef is their favorite type of meat. And if asked what cut of beef is their favorite, the same majority would loudly acclaim picanha as the best, most noble cut of beef.

I've previously posted about the differences between Brazilian and North American cuts of beef, and how differing styles of butchering means that it's impossible to directly relate a Brazilian cut to a North American one. The cut known as picanha is probably the most famous example of this - Brazilians consider it the best cut, and in North America it doesn't exist. Or at least almost doesn't exist. The picanha is part of what's called "top sirloin" in North America, and it's not usually separated from the rest of that cut. On the odd occasion when it might be cut separately, the correct name is "rump cover." With that name, it's no wonder the cut hasn't become popular in North America - somehow the name lacks gustatory appeal. "I'm dying for a nice rump cover for dinner tonight" or "I think I'll have the rump cover" bring rather unfortunately visual images to mind (or at least to my mind!)

Call it picanha or rump cover, it's a delicious cut of meat, either way. A fairly thick layer of fat covers a tender and lean nugget of meat, and in grilling, this layer of fat moistens and flavors the meat. Picanha is served with the fat attached, and although most people cut the fat away, some consider it the jewel in the crown, and eat it alongside the lean center cut.

 In typical churrasco style, picanha is simply grilled, seasoned only by salt. However, salting a picanha or other cut of meat for grilling is done in a unique was in Brazil. The salt used is very coarse rock salt, and it's applied very liberally to both sides of the picanha before it goes on the grill. Here's how a piece of picanha was salted yesterday by my friend Marcos César:

Interestingly, this enormous quantity of salt doesn't mean over-salted meat. By using coarse salt and by totally covering the surface of the meat, a crust is formed during cooking, which keeps the meat inside juicy and tender. When the picanha is removed from the grill, the salt crust is knocked off, and only then is it sliced and served. I've done something similar with a whole fish - roasting it in a bed of coarse salt, and then knocking away the salt crust to reveal the juicy fish inside. In Brazil, the same technique serves to ensure a juicy and properly seasoned steak - give it a try next time you fire up your grill and serve your steaks Brazilian churrasco style.

Rodízio - A Guide to the Meats

One of the joys of dining at a Brazilian churrascaria that operates with the rodízio system is ogling the quantity and variety of cuts of meat that pass by your table. Passadores, as the meat servers are called, offer a seemingly unlimited number of cuts of meat, each presented on a large skewer and served to you for the asking. The only problem for non-Brazilian or the non-Portuguese speakera is that it's sometimes difficult to know exactly what's being offered. The passadores work rapidly so that the meat won't cool, and even if they had the language skills to name and describe what they have in French, or English, or Japanese, they don't have the time.

One option is to be brave and try everything that passes. The main problem with this approach is that one's limit of meat consumption is quickly reached, and some of the best choices might therefore go untasted. Another option is to stick to those cuts that are visually recognizable - a sausage is a sausage, and a skewer loaded with chicken hearts is unmistakeably what it is. Again, this limits your choices, particularly in cuts of beef since Brazilian cuts of beef don't correspond to North American or European ones. You'll never see a skewered T-bone or a Porterhouse sail by in a churrascaria.

To help a bit with this dilemma, Flavors of Brazil, with assistance and photos from Brazil's Gosto magazine, offers this visual and linguistic aid to some of the most common, and best, cuts of meats you're likely to find in a churrascaria that offers the rodízio system. This is only a sampling however, so be brave and try other things that look intriguing or smell appetizing. You may never find out what you ate, but you'll have gained a gustatory memory to take back home as a souvenir of your Brazilian churrascaria experience.

Churrascaria Cuts of Meat

1. Picanha - The most-desired cut of Brazilian beef, in or out of churrascarias. It's normally cut fairly thickly and skewered with three pieces pieces per skewer. It's sliced thinly and generally cooked from medium to well-done. Try to chose a piece that is still quite thick - if it's thin it's probably been returned to the fire a few times and will be less juicy.

2. Costela premium (prime rib) - The most fashionable cut currently in many churrascarias. It comes from the first five ribs of the animal and has a fine flavor because of the presence of bone. It has a very tender texture and is nicely marbled with fat.

3. Fraldinha (flank or skirt steak) - Formerly considered a second-grade cut of meat, this cut is now almost as valued as picanha. It is extremely juicy and is skewered on it's long axis which helps retain the juices. If you want your piece more well done, chose from either end of the cut where the meat is thinner. Chose a center slice for a piece that is more rare.

4. Bife ancho (rib eye) - Cut in the Argentinian style, this consists of two parts separated by a layer of fat. Always chose an exterior piece. The central portions are less juicy, but still have good flavor.

5. Costeleta de cordeiro (lamb chop) - All in a churrascaria is not beef. Brazilian lamb is juicy and flavorful and a small lamb chop is a nice change of pace in a churrascaria. Try to get a piece that is medium-rare to medium - well-done lamb chops can be overly dry.

6. Filet mignon - An extremely tender meat, as it comes from a muscle just below the lumbar vertebrae of the animal which contracts very little, even when the animal is moving. The only problem can be lack of fat, which makes the cut potentially dry. This cut should not be eaten well-done as it will then lose its charm.

A Weekend in the Country

When the tropical heat of Fortaleza becomes too much to bear, local residents often head for the hills. Nestled in the mountains at an altitude of 2850 feet (865 meters) yet only 60 miles (100 km.) from Fortaleza is the small alpine resort town of Guaramiranga. The weather there is significantly cooler than on the coast, usually in the upper 70s (25C) during the day, and down to the low 60s (15-16C) at night. For residents of Fortaleza, these temperatures are a thrillingly chilly experience, and one to be savored. In and around Guaramiranga there are a number of inns, chalets and small hotels, and in the city itself a variety of restaurants. But many residents of Fortaleza have weekend homes there, or visit the homes of friends while in the mountains.

I spent the past weekend in Guaramiranga at the home of a good friend, taking advantage of the cool weather, in bright sunshine during the day, and under clear, crisp skies at night. On Saturday, we spent the day at the home of another friend, where we were treated to the Brazilian holiday ritual called churrasco. (Click here to read a bit more about churrascos in an earlier post on Flavors of Brazil.) There was a group of a dozen or so people, including three generations of the host family and friends from each of those generations. As is typical, the party started about noon, on a large open deck which has a full barbeque-kitchen at the back and a view over the forest and a small pool at the front. The kitchen includes a full barbeque pit, a traditional Brazilian wood-stove (very different from the North American model), an oven, a brick pizza-oven, two sinks, and a wet bar.

Wood Stove

Wood-burning oven




















Coffee-making utensils

While the fires were lit and stoked, drinks were served around the large antique dining table on the shaded and covered deck, and much talk moved between the table and the cooks (who were also guests) at the grills. Courses were cooked separately, mostly one at a time, and each was served when it came off the grill. Sometimes there might be as long as an hour between courses, an hour filled with chatter, laughter and toasts.

The first course to come to the table was prepared on the wood stove. Chicken drumsticks and small, pudgy pork sausages were cooked over the fire in an enamelled cast-iron pan, then sauced with a sweet and sour sauce using local honey and citrus juices, flavored with home-grown rosemary.

Drumsticks and sausages on the wood stove

Drumsticks and sausages served

While the guests were nibbling (actually more like gobbling) the chicken and sausages, spatchocked quails were grilling in the barbeque pit. Raised just down the road, these little birds were grilled very simply, with just olive oil and salt. They came to the table crunchy and crispy, and most people had more than one.

Quails on the grill

Quails served at table

There was a longish break after the quails, fortunately. While the cooks were preparing the steaks (picanha) and pork loin on the grill, I was given a tour of the garden by the hostess. There were hundreds of bromeliads and orchids, ferns of every type, heliconia and strelitzia, and some beautiful food-bearing trees including avocado, lime, tangerine and palmitos.

Tangerines ripening

I returned to the deck just in time for the main course to be served. Up to this point, the food had consisted entirely of meat, which is typical of a churrasco. For the main course, the meats were accompanied by rice (with carne do sol and fresh bananas from the garden), manioc flour, and home-made hot pepper sauce.

Main course meats being cooked on the grill

Beef steaks - picanha cut

Rice with carne do sol and bananas

By the time the last of the main course was cleared away, it was approaching 5 pm, and since we'd begun at noon, it had already been a five-hour meal. Things slowed down a bit, coffee was made, and about an half an hour later, coffee and aged cachaça were placed on the table, and the meal ended with drinks and a coconut-cashew nut cake. Shortly thereafter, as the sun set, people began making their thank-yous, and all had left by abou 6:30 pm. A churrasco is a daytime event, and rarely goes past sunset.

Although the meal was very meat-heavy, because it was served at such a slow pace, no one became over-full. Just as the appetite reawakened, another grilled meat seemed to appear as if by magic on the table. A beautiful way to spend a beautiful day - lovely surroundings, good friends, and good food and drink.

Enough to make one want to go away every weekend!

BEEF CUTS - Cupim

As I've previously discussed, trying to untangle the linguistic and culinary nightmare of the taxonomy of beef cuts in Brazil and in North America is no simple matter. To start with, butchers here in Brazil and those in the Northern Hemisphere don't cut beef the same way, so a cut hat's popular in one region, like picanha in Brazil or Porterhouse in North America, might not exist in the other. Further, there are regional and local naming variations on both sides of the Equator. However, Flavors of Brazil doesn't intend to let this complexity deter it in its attempt to untangle and clarify this gastronomic bagunça ("messy situation" in Portuguese). In due course, we hope to work our way through the entire animal from head to tail to compile a list of correspondences in beef cuts that is accurate and usable for readers of Flavors of Brazil.

One cut of beef that I have frequently come across in supermarkets and butcher shops here in Fortaleza, and which I have enjoyed on a number of occasions, is called cupim. My curiosity was piqued the first time I spotted it in a butcher shop, as I knew that the word cupim meant "termite" in Portuguese. The red, boneless, fat-marbled piece of beef I saw on display seemed to have nothing to do with wood-eating insects (fortunately!). Research among recipes for cupim revealed that the cut is roasted or stewed, and is also sometimes featured in the menu of Brazilian churrascos, or barbeques. I actually tasted cupim for the first time in a churrascaria, a Brazilian meat-orgy style of restaurant where waiters circle the tables with cuts of meat on large swords, offering slices to diners. I found it very rich, quite fatty, and with a tender, stringy texture. For me, cupim is more a cut for pot-roast or stew and less for the grill. Cooking it in liquid disperses the fat (which can be skimmed off) and makes cupim less greasy.

Questions posed to Brazilian friends about what part of the body cupim comes from didn't yield too much information at first, though one friend used the unfamiliar word corcova  and pointed to his back. It was time to hit the internet to figure this one out. Corcova turned out to mean "hunchback" or "hump" and from there it required only a small bit of internet research to nail down exactly what cupim is. A large portion of the cattle raised for beef in Brazil are in fact zebus and not the same species as European and North American beef cattle. Zebus came originally from India and are the primary beef animal throughout the tropical world, as they are exceptionally tolerant to heat and drought. In fact, they constitute 80% of all the beef cattle raised in Brazil. The primary physical characteristics of zebus that distinguish them from taurine beef cattle are drop ears and a large hump atop the spine just behind the head. Bingo - there's the cupim! It's nothing more or less then the hump of a zebu.

Since most North American and European beef comes from taurine cattle, it turns out that you're unlikely to encounter cupim in those regions under any name. Because Brazil is a major exporter of beef to those regions, it's likely that you might have eaten zebu at some time without realizing it, but because cuts of beef tend to be culturally determined, cupim doesn't share in that export market. It stays home in Brazil, for the delectation of Brazilians and tourists who are adventurous enough to try it when the passing waiter in a churrascaria offers it.

BEEF CUTS - Maminha

Since the butcher's art varies from country to country, each culinary culture similarly varies from all others in the way meat animals are butchered and the way the carcass is divided into cuts of meat. We've already discussed this topic previously here on Flavors of Brazil, talking about the Brazilian beef cuts picanha and cupim. These cuts of meat do not correspond directly to the cuts familiar to American and Canadian customers, which differ in turn from the cuts found in a British butcher shop, which have no connection to the say beef is cut for a Parisian boucherie, etc. etc. etc. So this is one more post in a Flavors of Brazil series about the way Brazilians cut their meat, in particular their beef, in an attempt to allow recipes and techniques of Brazilian meat cooking, some of the best in the world, to be exported around the world.

One of the best-loved and most common cuts of beef in this meat-mad country is called maminha. In North American terms, it would be part of the round - in particular, part of what is called "bottom round." This means it is cut from the part of the animal that sits on top of the rear legs. In other words, the hips and rumps. In this chart of Brazilian beef cuts, maminha is number 15.

This cut is particularly suited to grilling on a churrasqueira (charcoal or gas grill) when cut into steaks, into roasts when it is left whole and to stews when it is cubed. It's a very versatile cut, and one of the leanest beef cuts available. One well-known Brazilian food guide calls maminha "a filé mignon for the grill" as it shares the leanness and tenderness of the filé, but is suited for grilling, unlike the more-expensive filé. The guide goes on to recommend that the cut be left whole for roasting, and that it only be sliced (always across the grain) after cooking, and that it never be cooked more that medium, as it will turn tough and fibrous when overcooked.

Any Brazilian recipe for maminha can successfully be made in North America by substituting "bottom round roast" for whole-cut roasting and cubed for stews, or "bottom round steak" for grilling.

How do you say "Chuck Eye Roast" in Portuguese?

Part of the learning curve involved in cooking in a new country and culture is that the cuts of beef, pork or lamb that you know cannot be translated ino the language of your new home. Animals are butchered differently in different cultures, and so it's impossible to translate many familiar names from one language to another. There is no name in Portuguese for the "chuck eye roast" for instance, as that cut doesn't exist when a Brazilian steer is butchered. Nor is there an English name that correctly translates the steak that is most Brazilians' favorite - picanha, because that steak cannot be found in North American butcher shops and supermarkets.

If I'm cooking from a Brazilian recipe, there is no problem, as the recipe will indicate the proper cut of meat. The difficulty arises when I try to duplicate a favorite dish from North America. For example, what should I use in a beef pot roast or in a London Broil? I don't want to be reduced to pointing out various regions of my body to my local butcher a la Julia Child. Luckily, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Institute - EMBRAPA - has a very detailed guide to cuts of beef on its website. By comparing the charts there to a standard North American chart of beef cuts, you can easily find the nearest Brazilian equivalent to your favourite cut, and can confidently order it in Portuguese at the butcher's or find it in the supermarket meat section