Brazilian steakhouses are popular around the world for their all-you-can-eat meats and
rodízio -style dining. If you're a meat lover, a Brazilian steakhouse is a dream. But there's
a lot you might not know about the tradition they came from. This is the untold truth of
Brazilian steakhouses.
The Portuguese word "churrasco" means "barbecue" in English and can be used to refer to all
kinds of grilled meats. More often, however, churrasco refers to a specific method of Brazilian
grilling in which beef is barbecued on a long skewer and served by cutting off individual
slices. Brazilian steakhouses use this technique to cook and serve a variety of different meats,
from sirloin cap known as picanha to a type of pork loin called lombo.
But for Brazilians, churrasco is much more than just a cooking method. Churrasco, like
much regional cuisine, defines a culture and a way of life. Brazilians celebrate their
homemade barbecue no matter if they're throwing a party or just relaxing with friends and
family. Though you may not be able to travel to Brazil to experience the churrasco way
of life, traditional Brazilian steakhouses can give you a taste.
Most Brazilian steakhouses serve food using a unique method that lies somewhere between
buffet and family-style dining. Rodízio, which translates to "rotation," requires diners
to pay a fixed price for a variety of all-you-can-eat options. Most steakhouses have a salad bar,
but the main course is paraded out of the kitchen on large skewers, which servers slice
directly onto diners' plates.
According to legend, rodízio dining started when a waiter at a restaurant called Churrascaria
Matias in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, mistakenly brought a meat skewer to a table
that didn't order it. Instead of immediately correcting his mistake, the waiter allowed
the diner to try the dish anyway, and so a great tradition was born.
Rodízio gained popularity in the mid-20th century when restaurants began feeding truck
drivers. Truck driving, as a profession, became more common along with the rise of more road
construction in Brazil. Because of Brazil's many cattle herds, meat was cheap to buy,
and because of the simple churrasco tradition, it was also easy to make. Hungry travelers
were eager to get their hands on it when they stopped to rest and refuel.
Picanha is the best and most traditional meat available at a Brazilian steakhouse. No true
Brazilian barbecue is complete without it. This particular cut of meat is a necessary
ingredient if you're looking for a real Brazilian experience. Similar to a sirloin in flavor
and texture, Picanha is taken from the backside of the cow in the fatty area above the butt.
Most US butchers break down this piece of meat into smaller cuts, thus losing the fat
cap that gives picanha much of its flavor in the process.
It's the fat cap that infuses picanha with a juicy tenderness unrivaled by other cuts
of beef. Surprisingly, despite its extraordinary taste, picanha is actually pretty inexpensive.
However, it can be hard to find at a grocery store, but your local butcher should have
it.
As far as how you enjoy this delicious cut of meat, take it from chef Antonio from Fogo
de Chão…
"One thing also to remember: If you don't want to be yelled at by a Brazilian, make
sure to eat the fat with the picanha."
Though the meat on a Brazilian steakhouse menu might not be familiar to outsiders, locals
know these dishes well. From picanha to fraldinha, Brazilian meats, especially churrasco-style,
are some of the best you'll ever have.
Some of the most common cuts you'll encounter at a Brazilian steakhouse are picanha, filet
mignon, chuleta, and fraldinha. Picanha is the most traditional cut, taken from the top
of a cow's rump and seasoned with salt. It gets skewered into a C-shape when it cooks
over open flames. Though filet mignon is a well-known cut of beef, sometimes you'll find
it dressed up in bacon or a parmesan crust. Chuleta is whole cuts of ribeye steak that
get skewered and roasted, and fraldinha is a cut of bottom sirloin that's marbled with
fat and served in long flat pieces.
If you consider yourself a big carnivore, a Brazilian steakhouse is the place for you.
The Brazilian steakhouse experience centers around, well, steak, and lots of it. The popular
chain, Fogo de Chão, has been called a "meat-eater's mecca" because it offers "all the meat you
can eat." And in that sense, it's not unique among Brazilian steakhouses. However, when
Dotty Griffith reviewed a Brazilian steakhouse back in 1997, she noted,
"Americans and Texans are used to all-you-can-eat salad bars, but all you can eat grilled steak
and other meats was new at the time."
Not for the faint of heart, or vegetarians, a typical Brazilian steakhouse will leave
you feeling stuffed to the brim, sure you can't eat another bite. Until, of course,
a server comes by the table with a new skewer of delicious grilled meat. With so many options
to choose from, if you leave the restaurant walking upright, you're doing it wrong. Though
you might assume that America's huge portion sizes have prepared you for this moment, Brazilian
steakhouses take it to a whole new level. Brace yourself, and more importantly, pace
yourself.
Churrasco-style grilling was created to show off the pure essence of the meat. Most of
the time churrasco meats are seasoned only with salt before being put on the grill. The
skewers are stacked on top of one another with the fattier cuts on top so the juices
drip down and infuse the other meats with flavor.
Brazilian barbecue lacks the smoky flavor popular in Texas, and the US more broadly,
because Brazilian gauchos wanted to preserve the basic flavor of their farm-raised beef.
Instead of smoking the meat, which alters the taste, they roasted it slowly on skewers
until the outer layer was nicely seared and the inside was tender and juicy.
Though beef is the most common kind of churrasco meat, Brazilian steakhouses often serve poultry
and lamb as well. Unlike beef, these meats usually get a long marinade in a rich sauce
before grilled, giving them an extra boost of flavor.
Brazilian cowboys, or gauchos, were the first to cook meat Brazilian steakhouse-style in
the 1800s. The men would spend their days herding cattle and their nights grilling the
meat over a fire for their friends and family. They prepared the food the same way it's done
now. Simply sprinkle on some salt and slow roast over hot coals. Back in the beginning
of churrasco, gauchos dug pits in the ground to build their fires and waited until it was
extremely hot before skewering the meat and starting the roasting process.
In those days, the men oversaw the meat, from pasture to butcher to spit, while the women
gathered the food they had grown in gardens and prepared side dishes. The meal was a family
effort and a celebration. The gauchos and their families gathered around the fire together
similar to the way you might gather with family and friends around the table to enjoy the
same Brazilian meats.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite
restaurants are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you
don't miss a single one.