Fogo de cHAO?

Fogo de how?

Fogo is known for the endless amount of meat that we can consume (though we hate to admit the amount is far from endless in reality). Not only is it possible to eat way more than we should, it also tastes phenomenal! Thank the Argentinean gauchos for that. South America has very unique ways of flavoring their meats. One way is with an herb marinade. This gives the meat herbaceous notes that go well with flavorful steaks that, at times, can seem like a heavy load for your stomach. Not only have these marinades contained herbs, but also incorporate spices that bring depth of flavor without over powering your meat!

So what is a marinade? I suppose the culinary school answer would be a mixture of liquid and aromatic ingredients. Here is a two second lesson on marinades:

1. Three purposes
1. To add flavor
2. To tenderize
3. To preserve
2. Components
1. Liquid - oil, vinegar, water, citrus, or anything flavorful, such as juice
2. Aromats – herbs, shallots, garlic, or anything flavorful, such as spices
3. Length of time
1. Seconds to days
2. Depends on size and purpose

Now that we have the basic understanding of marinades and their components, we can move onto some background knowledge about the origin of these marinades. I don’t know this for a fact, but knowing that gauchos are the cowboys of South America, the purpose of these marinades (churrasco, chimichurri) was to add flavor and to preserve. Beginning in the 18th century, gauchos could have been considered anything from cowboys to hunter-gatherers to herders to certified bad-booty-mother-suck-ups. Since they ate almost exclusively beef, when they took down some meat they needed a way to preserve it so it wouldn’t go to waste. Imagine living on a ranch in Brazil and having to slaughter your own cattle for food. Because you cared for that cow day in and day out, you would be sure to enjoy and save each and every bit of your hard work. Submerging the meat in oil reduces the amount of oxygen that can penetrate the meat, thus, drastically slowing bacterial growth. Still to this day, many food service operations use marinades for reasons such as that.

What are the components of this gaucho marinade? Well, they are the South American “cowboys” after all so the list is as follows:

1. Cilantro, fresh
2. Parsley, fresh (flatleaf)
3. Ground coriander
4. Ground cumin
5. Ground ancho chile
6. Ground smoke paprika
7. Roasted garlic
8. Oil, vegetable or blend

So what are we even going to marinade, grill, and eventually devour? Certainly it will be beef. I prefer, for this preparation, an off cut of meat something like flank or skirt. I think these steaks take to the marinade the best because of the amount of herbs. Since herbs are very delicate, the amount of time you want to spend cooking them is minimal. Also, since both of these steaks are very thin, the cooking time should be minimal for this reason as well.

If you have never tried this before I hope you will try it now. It is very unique and one of a kind, thus explaining why Brazilian steak houses have gained popularity in the past 5-10 years. Here is my gaucho marinade:

Gaucho Marinade
For about 5# meat (i think)

• 1ea     Cilantro, bunch
• 1/2ea  Parsley, flatleaf, bunch
• 1tsp    Ground Coriander, toasted
• 1tsp    Ground Cumin, toasted
• 1tsp    Ground Ancho Chile, toasted (tip: make sure to toast this with all the other spices)
• 1tsp    Smoke Paprika, toasted
• 2tsp    Roasted garlic (you can use the same technique to make garlic oil. Then use the cloves as roasted garlic)
• 1 1/2c   Oil, vegetable or blend

1. Place the herbs and oil in the blender (food processor will work as well|). You will need to pulse it. Scrape the sides often untill everything is incorporated while blending. 
2. Add all your toasted spices, and garlic.
3. Pour over your marinade.

 -e
edited by JDC Inc.