CHURRASCO

'Churrasco' is a Spanish and Portuguese term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America but a primary dish in the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua and other Central America countries.
In Argentina, a ''churrasco'' is a thick cut of skirt steak. Gauchos would have grilled churrasco as part of their ''asado'', now the national dish of the country, served with ''chimichurri'', salad and fried or mashed potatoes, and sometimes a fried egg. Churrasco is also found in Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
In Nicaragua ''churrasco'' is tenderloin steak. It may be served with chimichurri sauce as in Argentina and is a very traditional dish in the country. Nicaraguan style churrasco is famous in Cuba, Thailand, Nigeria, and the US state of Texas.
In Guatemala, ''churrasco'' is regarded as a typical dish, often eaten in familiar gatherings and festive occasions. It is usually served topped with chirmol, a red sauce containing chopped tomatoes and onions, and accompanied by corn, guacamole, grilled potatoes and tortilla.
In Puerto Rico, ''churrasco'' is skirt or flank steak, which is grilled or stewed with peppers & onions.
In Chile, ''churrasco'' refers to a thin cut of steak which varies depending on the desired quality of the sandwich. The slices are grilled and served on a toasted bun, usually accompanied with tomato, avocado and mayonnaise, in the case of a ''churrasco italiano''. Another popular dish, ''churrasco a lo pobre'' ("poor man's churrasco"), consists of a churrasco served with french fries, fried egg, and caramelized onions.
In Brazil, ''churrasco'' is the term for a barbecue, similar to the Argentine asado. The meat may be cooked on a purpose-built "churrasqueira", a grill or barbecue, often with supports for spits or skewers. Portable "churrasqueiras" are similar to those used to prepare the Argentinian and Uruguayan asado (see Cuisine of Argentina), with a grill support, but many Brazilian "churrasqueiras" do not have grills, only the skewers above the embers. The meat may alternatively be cooked on large metal or wood skewers resting on a support or stuck into the ground and roasted with the embers of charcoal (wood may also be used, especially in the State of Rio Grande do Sul).
A ''churrascaria'' is a restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as you can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the client's plate. This serving style is called 'Espeto Corrido' or 'Rodizio'.
In Portugal, ''Frango de Churrasco'' with piri piri (a kind of salty roasted chicken cooked on the ''churrasqueira'', spiced with hot red chili sauce) is very popular and appreciated. Portuguese churrasco and chicken dishes are very popular in countries with Portuguese communities, such as Canada, Australia, Venezuela and South Africa.
In Galicia, churrasco refers almost exclusively to grilled pork or beef spare-ribs. Galicians who emigrated to America in the 20th century took the recipee for churrasco. Nowadays many Galicians of all social classes prepare a churrascada.
The term ''churrasco'' is used in former Portuguese colonies—a ''Churrasco Moçambicano'' is a grilled meat dish from Mozambique, for instance.

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See also

See also

★ Cuisine of Nicaragua

★ List of Brazilian dishes