OOEE Chimichurri

Get The Basics Right For Your Churrasco!

Photo by Óscar Salgado on Unsplash

Getting Started

As you may have read in my other episodes of Track #6, our educational channel; Outrageous Outdoor Eating Events (O.O.E.E.), the ability to manage the wood cooking and firepit lifecycles are at the core of success. They’re the heart and soul of the churrascaria and asado art forms of cooking grilled meats. Then, serving them, with fresh herbal sauce concoctions which astound OOEE guest participants. We’ll dig into these in this episode.

Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash

You must get comfortable moving the evolution of the fire from the wood pile to the compost heap. This means that we are comfortable moving from a full-sized log to a pile of kindling to burning sticks to embers to coals, etc. You produce burning embers as your core currency as those are the collective heat source which is used for cooking mixed varieties of grilled meats at churrascarias and asados. But let’s put that aside for now and turn to the next key Critical Success Factor or CSF; the traditional chimichurri.

Photo by Paul Hermann on Unsplash

Next, after cooking firm lifecycle management comes knowing the key cuts of meats to use and how to serve them with appropriate sides and accompaniments.

As an OOEE Sherpa (leader) and gourmet chef wannabe, I'm delighted to share with you the rich traditions surrounding the art of ember-cooking grilled meats, known as "Churrasco”. Churrasco is an iconic South American culinary tradition that celebrates the simplicity and flavor of grilled meats and herbal sauces.

Churrasco Origins:

Churrasco traces its origins to the gauchos, the skilled cattle herders and cowboys of South America. These ranchers would gather around open fires to cook meat from their cattle, often using simple skewers or spits. Over time, this method of cooking evolved into the elaborate churrascarias or steak houses we know today.

Photo by Joris Voeten on Unsplash

Key Elements of Churrasco: