Espetinho de carne
Grilled beef skewers
Brazilian Carnival beef skewers grilled over charcoal, with farofa
All through Brazilian Carnival, from Salvador's street parties to the blocos of Rio, the smoke of espetinho grills drifts along the pavements, and a skewer of beef with a spoonful of farofa is the snack that keeps revellers dancing all night. Chunks of rump are seasoned with garlic, coarse salt and lime, threaded onto skewers and grilled hard and fast over charcoal. Marinate the beef in the fridge. The common mistake is packing the pieces tightly, which steams them instead of charring. Chef's tip: soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes so they don't burn before the meat is done.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the skewers
- 1 ½ lb beef rump or sirloinin 3 cm cubes
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 limejuiced
- 1 ½ tsp coarse salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion (optional)in chunks
For the farofa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ½ lb beef rump or sirloin with the 4 cloves garlic, 1 lime, 1 ½ tsp coarse salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 4.
5 minStep 3: Fry the 1 small onion in the 2 tbsp olive oil until soft, then stir in the 3 ½ oz farinha de mandioca (toasted cassava meal) and ¼ tsp salt and toast over a medium heat for 5 minutes until sandy and lightly golden.
8 minStep 4: Grill the skewers over hot charcoal or on a very hot griddle for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until well browned outside. For medium the centre should be 145°F and slightly pink; cook longer if you prefer it well done.
10 minStep 5: Rest for 2 minutes and serve with the farofa for dipping.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does espetinho de carne take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
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