Espetinho

Ingredients

Meats

• 500 grump steak, in 3 cm cubes
• 400 gchicken thigh, in cubes
• 300 gpork or linguiça, in chunks

Cheese

• 300 gqueijo coalho, in thick cubes

Marinade

• 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 2 tbspoil
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• juice of 1 lime

To serve

• farofa
• vinagrete
• hot sauce
• cold beer

Directions

1. Cut everything into cubes of roughly the same size, so each skewer cooks evenly.
2. Marinate the beef, chicken and pork separately with the garlic, oil, salt, pepper and lime for 30 minutes.
3. Do not marinate the cheese. Queijo coalho goes onto its own skewer entirely plain, and any oil or acid makes it collapse over the fire.
4. Thread each meat onto its own skewer rather than mixing them, because they cook at quite different rates.
5. Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes beforehand if you are using them.
6. Grill over hot coals, turning often: chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, beef for 6 to 8, pork for about 10.
7. Grill the cheese last and fast, 2 to 3 minutes in total, turning constantly until golden and blistered but still holding its shape.
8. Watch the cheese every second. Queijo coalho has a very short window between properly browned and sliding off the stick into the fire.
9. Sprinkle everything with farofa as it comes off the grill, which is exactly what the street vendors do.
10. Serve immediately with vinagrete, hot sauce and cold beer.

Technique

• Queijo coalho is a firm rennet cheese made to be grilled, and it squeaks rather than melting. Halloumi is the nearest thing to it.
• They are sold from grills on pavements all over Brazil and eaten standing up.
• Salt the meat before it goes on the fire rather than after. It is a plain dish and the seasoning has to be in it.

Substitutions

• Halloumi in place of queijo coalho, which behaves almost identically.
• Chicken hearts, which are a Brazilian favourite on the skewer.

Variations

• With chicken hearts, sold at every churrasco stand.
• Wrapped in bacon before grilling.
• With a slice of pineapple on the cheese skewer.

History

Sold from street grills and roadside stands everywhere in Brazil, eaten with farofa and cold beer.

Frequently asked questions

What is Espetinho?

Espetinho is a street food from Brazil: small meat or cheese skewers grilled to order at pavement barbecues. Sold from street grills and roadside stands everywhere in Brazil, eaten with farofa and cold beer.

How long does Espetinho take to make?

Espetinho takes 30 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 skewers. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Espetinho?

Yes, within limits. Halloumi in place of queijo coalho, which behaves almost identically. Chicken hearts, which are a Brazilian favourite on the skewer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Espetinho?

Do not marinate the cheese. Queijo coalho goes onto its own skewer entirely plain, and any oil or acid makes it collapse over the fire.