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.
 
 

 
 

 

[BigB]

made anticuchos with some beef heart, boy is that stuff cheap. Had some leftovers and chopped em up, but didn't have any tortillas.

 
So I had some leftover sauce made with trini seasoning and brazilian starfish and backyard broiled tomatoes and everglades cherry tomatoes cooked with a little bit of benton's bacon fat. Cooked up the chopped leftover anticuchos in some bacon fat and some onions, added the sauce and some pepper jack cheese and simmered down.

 

[grantmichaels]

I just saw beef heart at Publix yesterday ...
 
I was curious, but didn't go for it ...
 
Now I wish I had, looks like something I'd like ...
 
Meat on a stick, is usually my jam ...

 

[kibaumm]

 
 
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn! That looks fantastic.... bravo!
 
Can i ask about the addition of Cassava flour? is it added for flavor or is it a texture thing?
 
Also what is the common chilli where you are from? Is there a chilli salsa (or house chilli) that is common with your family meals?
 
Hope that makes sense hehe.... thankyou for sharing your meal 

 
Thanks.
In my region we eat everything with cassava jajajaja is more for texture.
The coomon chilli is Dedo-de-moça, malagueta, cumari(wild brazilian pepper and my favorite), we use pepper in vinager or lemon  juice, and the salsa is just mashed pepper with vinager.

 

[Tinnie]

Thank you kibaumm, i enjoy learning about stuff like that. I have a jar of murupi peppers around here from brazil but i havent had a chance to try them yet.
 
Nice looking anticuchos BigB.... i'll take 6 to go please  .... beef heart is very cheap and pretty underused in general... thanks for sharing

 

[Tinnie]

I thought id try Peruvian again lol.... this is called Tallarines Verde (Green Spaghetti) topped with fried egg and with Salsa Huancaina.....
 
Its often described as Peruvian style pesto but is imo quite different to the common Italian version.
 
Most of my ingredients....
 

 
final product with Salsa Huancaina...
 

 

[grantmichaels]

that's neat, i've never seen it done.

 

[Tinnie]

My friend and i made a dish called Carapulcra the other day.... basically a pork and/or chicken stew made with onion, garlic, cumin, aji panca, dried potato, toasted peanuts..... with some peach bhut sauce to serve....  deicious.....
 

 
 
 
Made anticuchos tonight.... had it marinading over night..... on the left is chicken livers marinaded in Aji Amarillo paste/cumin/garlic/vinegar.... on the right is chicken hearts marinaded in Aji Panca/cumin/garlic/dried mixed herbs/olive oil..... 
 

 
Chicken hearts came out absolutely delicious.... not sure where i went wrong with the chicken livers but they didnt come out very well, not to do with the marinade but i think possibly the product wasnt good or possibly i didnt do some thing right in my prep or cooking.... it was my first time cooking both.... overall happy but may have to do something different next time....

 

[cypresshill1973]

Looks great Tinnie!!
 
I would can eat all dish... I would like
 
I don't know those dishes. However I tryed somethings equal like brochetas.
 

Here I show you some pic a stuffed matambre as I did say you in PMs.

The stuff is boiled eggs and carrot, crushed persley, garlic and spices. Also can included crushed peppers, onion, but traditionaly is only eggs and carrots. Once tied stuffed meat, boiled for 2 hours. Once cool, the tie are removed and cut into slices
 

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Those anticuchos look great Tinnie! I like to marinade my chicken livers with aji panca paste, instead of aji amarillo. I think the aji panca compliments the liver better than the sweeter aji amarillo. I usually use beef heart for my anticuchos, I've never made them with chicken. Is there much difference in flavor compared to beef hearts?

That looks good Cypress Hill! The last time I had good matambre was in Argentina. I've tried some versions in the U.S., but they haven't tasted the same. Maybe it has to do with the superior quality of the Argentine meat, or the matambres I've had in the states were bad recetas.

 

[grantmichaels]

I like to consider myself a half-adventurous eater, and certainly a half-adventurous carnivore ... but those both challenge me a little bit, albeit each distinctly ...

 

[Tinnie]

Looks great Tinnie!!
 
I would can eat all dish... I would like
 
I don't know those dishes. However I tryed somethings equal like brochetas.
 
Here I show you some pic a stuffed matambre as I did say you in PMs.
The stuff is boiled eggs and carrot, crushed persley, garlic and spices. Also can included crushed peppers, onion, but traditionaly is only eggs and carrots. Once tied stuffed meat, boiled for 2 hours. Once cool, the tie are removed and cut into slices
 

 
That looks seriously delicious CH! Thank you again for the help, i will try this recipe soon if i can find some matambre. Is it possible to cook this in a slow cooker?
 
 

Those anticuchos look great Tinnie! I like to marinade my chicken livers with aji panca paste, instead of aji amarillo. I think the aji panca compliments the liver better than the sweeter aji amarillo. I usually use beef heart for my anticuchos, I've never made them with chicken. Is there much difference in flavor compared to beef hearts?

That looks good Cypress Hill! The last time I had good matambre was in Argentina. I've tried some versions in the U.S., but they haven't tasted the same. Maybe it has to do with the superior quality of the Argentine meat, or the matambres I've had in the states were bad recetas.

 
Yes i will definately stick with the panca next time, wanted to see how the amarillo paste tasted in anticuchos, it wasnt bad... but the panca has a deeper flavor that works well with the grilled meat. Would you possibly have any tips for preparing or cooking your chicken livers. I know how good they can be and mine fell quite short of the mark. Not sure where i went wrong, was even thinking possibly leaving them overnight to marinade may have been wrong....
 
I know its not traditional but the chicken hearts i think are well worth a try. Compared to the beef hearts they do not have as strong a flavor, also not as heavy (filling) as beef hearts. But they compliment the aji panca and spices very well, they are also very cheap, easy to prepare and skewer. I like both varieties and will probably use both next time i make anticuchos.
 
 

I like to consider myself a half-adventurous eater, and certainly a half-adventurous carnivore ... but those both challenge me a little bit, albeit each distinctly ...

 
Totally get that its not for everyone.
 
With heart i see it as a muscle, not too dissimilar to other cuts of meat from an animal.... other stuff i understand has a lot more aquired taste...

 

[irn8cctC2uZ]

In my region we eat everything with cassava jajajaja is more for texture.

 
Not only that... It also helps my feces come out in good shape. 
 
Cassava flour is an indispensable item in my kitchen/food.

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

Tinnie, when I chicken livers with palos, I only marinade for a couple of hours. Then, when I'm grilling them, I braise them heavily with the marinade. I usually only marinade my beef hearts for 4-5 hours too. I haven't seen much difference between the 4-5 hour marinade and the overnight marinade with the beef heart.

I figure it might be fitting to post what I made for dinner on this thread.

Ceviche Peruano! The first pic is of the ingredients; fish, aji limo, culantro, and red onion. The aji limo and culantro are homegrown of course. I also baked some sweet potato and fried up some cancha corn to serve with the ceviche.

 

[cypresshill1973]

I like looks your plate.
 
How fish was?
Although my taste, the fish need more cooking time in the lemon, I like more when the flesh is white. Or perhaps the photo tricks, sorry!

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

It was delicious!

I usually cook for 3-5 minutes with the lime juice. We prefer it especially crudo at my house.

I've been making ceviche for years, it's one of my favorite all time dishes.

It's easy to make as long as you have exactly the right ingredients.

My wife just went and grabbed her third serving from the ceviche bowl. I better get to the kitchen to grab more before she finishes it off, lol!

 

[Tinnie]

Nice looking ceviche!!
 
One of my favourite foods too, but ive always been a little apprehensive cooking it myself.... will have to give it another go soon....

 

[cypresshill1973]

Nice!

 

[grantmichaels]

I've never had ceviche ...

 

[BigB]

I've never had ceviche ...

 
why? you live in florida. do you not like fish?

 

[grantmichaels]

 
why? you live in florida. do you not like fish?

 
I grew up not liking fish ...
 
Eventually, after college, I found fried grouper ...
 
Then I realized that I loved to catch and eat snook ...
 
Then I found I liked shellfish (my mom was really allergic, so we didn't have it growing up) ...
 
Then I found I could make the flounder she massacred growing up, better ...
 
Then I tried some other fish last year ... liking halibut a bit more than grouper ...
 
And that's where I'm at ... so far ...
 
I do have a source for fish I'd trust to try ceviche with, so I mostly just need to try to nail the right recipe for me to start with, so I have a good experience ...
 
I'm a cautious seafood eater, I guess ...
 
I find the taste and smell of cooked/cooking salmon entirely offensive ... all that lox and capers my family was eating w/ bagels ruined me early on, I guess ...