In South America around 1530, the Brazilians were the first to raise cattle for beef. The gauchos who worked the cattle were largely a nomadic and homeless group of men who lived off the land and moved from ranch to ranch in search of work. They willingly shared what they had with any travelers they came across and as such developed a reputation of open hospitality.
Like their North American cowboy counterparts, the gaucho was an honest, strong and silent type but capable of violence when provoked. This made them excellent guards of the vast herds of cattle they protected and well suited to their lifestyle.
When out among the cattle, the primary source of food for the gaucho was the churrasco (pronounced shoo-RAS-koo), otherwise known as Brazilian barbeque. This was the staple means of cooking and eating for centuries before it spread toward Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Open Air Cooking
Originally cooked over open coals which were heaped into a pit dug into the ground, meat would be skewered on a metal spit and slowly cooked over the heat. Coarse salt was the only seasoning and each gaucho would always have his own churrasco knife used explicitly for cutting off slabs of meat as it cooked. The churrasco would be prepared as soon as they stopped for the day and allowed to cook most of the night and enjoyed finally, late at night.
World Famous Churrascarias
Today this style of cooking meat has become very fashionable and there are high end churrascarias all over the world. These restaurants which specialize in Brazilian style barbeque are the modern equivalent of cooking over the open coals while under the stars. These restaurants are equipped with waiters who circulate amongst the patrons with large slabs of perfectly cooked and seasoned meats on spits, slicing and serving each patron the type and amount of meat they request. A good churrascaria is going to have eight or more types of meats available, as well as a salad bar and various side dishes.
If Simple is Better
In Brazil you don’t need to eat out to enjoy churrasco. Many homes are equipped with backyard barbecue pits and spits for cooking meat, and many occasions are celebrated with this traditional form of barbeque.
The only condiments required for an authentic churrasco feast is a caipirinha (Brazil’s national cocktail made from cane alcohol, lime and sugar) and chimmichurri sauce which is a traditional sauce made of parsley, lime and olive oil.
