We get a lot of questions like, "What is churrasco exactly?" or even "how do you pronounce 'churrasco'?"
Well, let me answer them once and for all, and also introduce you to some key words involved in Brazilian BBQ.
"Churrasco" is a simple yet dynamic barbeque originating in the "Gaucho" cowboys barbequing whole cuts of meat on large skewers outdoors. Gauchos were the cowboys raising cattle in the grass fields in Southern Brazil.
Today, churrasco is made in a purpose-built barbeque called "churrasqueira," in which skewered meat is rested on a support that rotates to cook the meat evenly.
Churrasqueira
The meat is seasoned with rock salt and sometimes also with garlic. Extra fat and tendons are removed from the meat before barbequing, so the meat is not too fatty but at the same time very juicy and flavorful.
Since the meats are cooked without using sauces and marinades like barbeque is done in the United States for example, the flavor is more like grilled steak.
At Choupana, you can see the meats barbequing in the churrasqueira through the glass windows!
The barbequed meat is then brought to your table by the waiter, and he will slice off pieces of the meat right in front of you. Over 10 different cuts of meat will be brought to your table, and you can take as much as you like.
Cutting Rump cap
Churrasco is not only delicious, it is also quite entertaining to watch the skewered meats being brought to your table and being sliced right in front of you!
At Choupana, in addition to various cuts of beef, we also serve pork, chicken, lamb, and Brazilian sausages, as well as roasted cheese cubes and succulent roasted pineapple sprinkled with cinnamon.
Rump cap
Hump Meat
roasted cheese cubes
Pineapple
Even though churrasco is not very common in Japan, it is part of the daily Brazilian diet. In Brazil, you will find bustling "churrascarias" (Brazilian BBQ restaurant) everywhere you go. Brazilians also like to do their own churrascos at home, and many people build their own "churrasqueiras" in their backyard just for doing churrasco. Barbeques similar to churrasco are also done in Argentina and Peru. Churrasco is also popular outside South America, like in Europe, North America, and even China.
Now, the pronunciation of the word "churrasco." The "rr" in Portuguese is pronounced as an "h" sound, so the correct pronunciation would actually be "shoo-hass-co." But, many people pronounce it with the "r" sound as pronounced in English, so you can say it either way and be understood anyway!