Comida South America!

For a long time now South American food, esp Peruvian, has held a special place in my heart. Recently i was generously given a gift of a couple of Rocoto sauces from friends overseas. So I thought id start this thread in hopes to learn more about the cuisine and also try my hand a little more often to cook some of their dishes.
 
tonights dinner is a couple of my Peruvian favorites:
 
*Anticuchos - Traditionally beef heart is used.... i used blade steak marinated in 1/2C vinegar, 2T Aji Panca paste, garlic, scotch bonnett, oregano, cumin
*Ajiaco de Papas- 1/2 onion diced and sauteed in butter/oil, add 200g of diced halloumi (or queso fresco), add 3T Aji Amarillo paste, 1/2C stock, 1/2C evaporated milk. Stir and mash in 1kg of cooked potatoes.
*Others - Rice, Salsa Criolla (onion) and one of my favorite beers, Cusquena Negra.
 
 

 
 

 

[SmokenFire]

Those look beautiful!  

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Those look beautiful!  

Thanks! Here is an action shot, lol!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I love papa rellena! Great drunk food for like $2.50 lol... I'm used to the bread crumb kind... Probably Dominican or Puerto Rican style.

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1338802

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Feijoada Brasileira.

This is one of the signature dishes of any portuguese speaking country, and every region has their own variation. This is the Brazilian style. My wife does won't eat it if I put pigs ears, tail, or feet, so I omit those ingredients. It still comes out amazing.

Steep your black beans for an hour in very warm water. While the water steeps, cut up your pork belly and pork loin into cubes. Cut your rack of ribs into thirds. Leave your sausages whole for now. Once the beans have soaked for an hour, throw them into a pot with water. Once boiling, add in all of the meat. Cook this on a slow simmer for 45 mintes, skimming off all of the fat that accumulates at the top. After 45 minutes remove all of the meat, and set it aside. In a seperate pan, sautee some diced pork belly, onions, and garlic. Once cooked through add it to the pot with the beans. Cook the beans until almost done. Cut up your sausages, then throw all of the meat back into the pot with the beans. Simmer until the beans are done.

Farofa na manteiga.

Take your raw cassava flour, amd simmer it slowly with some quality butter, until golden color. This usually takes 10 minutes. Make sure to constantly stir the farinha, otherwise it can burn.

Serve the feijoada with white rice, farofa, kale, and orange slices.

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Anticuchos.

Take a beef heart, then cut off all of the fat, veins/arteries, and the thin white membrane that runs around it. Cut the heart into pieces about half an inch thick, and an inch wide.

Blend up garlic, aji amarillo, aji panca, vinegar, and olive oil. Coat and marinade the heart meat with this for 4 hours. Put the meat on some skewers, rotating frequently and basting with the leftover marinade.

Ají.

Always serve your anticuchos with a fresh ají. In this case I made a sauce with lemon drop and aji pineapple. Take your peppers, blend them up with some garlic,honey,vinegar, limes, coriander, and olive oil. Strain this mixture to reserve only the liquid. Serve immediately.

 

[JayT]

Oh wow!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I've probably only had beef heart in sausage (as filler), and just from reading ingredients I know I've seen it before... never had it like this, looks amazing!

 

[tctenten]

I do not think I have ever had beef heart before, but that might make me try it. What is the texture like?

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

I've probably only had beef heart in sausage (as filler), and just from reading ingredients I know I've seen it before... never had it like this, looks amazing!

It's really good, one of my favorite grilled appetizers for sure. The meat is very tender, not gamey at all.

 

[Tinnie]

Great dishes TGCM!!!

 

[Bumper]

It's really good, one of my favorite grilled appetizers for sure. The meat is very tender, not gamey at all.

. GCM, love the posts. I have been reading a new Peruvian cookbook over the last couple of days, great recipes. Plus I have 3 Aji Amarillo fully loaded with pods, and a bunch in the freezer to use, so will have to try some of yours. Thanks again.

 

[oldsalty]

That looks Amazing Great job!!!!

 

[SmokenFire]

I do not think I have ever had beef heart before, but that might make me try it. What is the texture like?

 
Definitely 'steak-y' in texture, perhaps a bit more spongey on the chew (not at all in a bad way tho).  Of all the organ meats heart is best imo.

 

[Tinnie]

Pepian Peruano (Peruvian Corn Stew)
 
Ingredients: Corn, onion, garlic, corriander, cumin, pork (+bones), aji amarillo paste, aji panca paste, stock
 

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

That looks delicious Tinnie!

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Arroz con Mariscos.

Take your shrimp, dehead them, then throw the heads in a pot with some water and begin to boil. While your shrimp heads boil, clean and dice your squid and octopus. Once your shrimp heads have reduced to a nice stock, strain them, and start some rice cooking in a rice cooker with half water and half shrimp stock.

In a pan, cook up some butter with some diced onions. Once translucent, blend some shrimp stock with aji panca, and garlic. Add this to the cooking onions. Dice up some green onions, and add to this mixture. Once everything is nice and browned, deglaze with a cup of wine (I used a dry mead). Add your chopped octopus and squid. Simmer until the rice is done in the rice cooker. Add the shrimp to the pan with the simmering octopus and squid. Blend up some aji amarillo, amd add them to the mix, then slowly start adding rice. Add the rest of your shrimp stock. Stir until the shrimp are cooked, then serve with some sliced hard boiled eggs and a Peruvian olive.

 

[Tinnie]

Looks great tgcm!
 
Arroz con mariscos is one of my favourite things in the world. 

 

[JayT]

Dude!   Where are you buying all that fresh seafood???

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Looks great tgcm!
 
Arroz con mariscos is one of my favourite things in the world. 

Thanks! It's one of my favorites too. I usually use mussels too, but the mussels at the market that day were covered in barnacles, and I didn't feel like scrubbing them off.

Dude!   Where are you buying all that fresh seafood???

Mediterrafish, Fresh world, and Wegmans among others, depending on what I'm shopping for.

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Causa Limeña.

Skin, boil your potatoes, then strain and mash them. Blend up an aji amarillo, garlic, the juice of 3 limes, and 3 spoonfulls of pasta de aji amarillo. Mix this with the mashed potatoes.

Mix the salmon with mayonnaise, diced aji limo, diced culantro, and diced tomatoes.

Layer the potatoes in a pyrex, then the fish salad, them the potatoes to for layers on the pyrex. Allow it to cool in the fridge.

Serve with salsa criolla, and garnished with Peruvian olives, diced aji limo and boiled eggs.