Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue

[Steven] Brazilians may not have invented spit-roasting, but they've certainly raised it to the level of art.

Get ready for picanha with country salsa...

This is insanely good.

..Rio chicken rollatini... Smokey ham, melty cheese, tangy cornichon, it's a carnival of flavor.

...and grilled pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and stuffed with prunes.

That's really nice.

The smokiness of the bacon, the pork is very moist.

From Hemisfair Park in San Antonio, Texas, I'm Steven Raichlen.

Welcome to Planet Barbecue.

[opening theme music] [announcer] Steven Raichlen's "Planet Barbecue" is made possible by... [narrator 1] This is the Big Green Egg, where fire and flavor come together.

You can roast, bake, and sear with the versatility of a grill, oven, and barbecue smoker combined.

Locate a dealer at BigGreenEgg.com.

[narrator 2] Fire Magic, combining style with the versatility to sear, smoke, rotisserie cook, and charcoal grill.

Crafted in America for over 80 years.

[music] Shun Cutlery handcrafted in Japan.

[narrator 3] Father's Cooker, multi-fuel, multifunction.

[narrator 3] Argentine Beef proudly supports "Planet Barbecue."

[narrator 4] Truly wireless temperature starts with Maverick.

[announcer] And by the following: [Steven] Mention churrasco to Brazilians and their eyes will light with pleasure.

At the heart of this unique style of barbecue lies the Rodizio, an industrial strength rotisserie on which meats, poultry, seafood, and even cheese, bread, and fruit spin on horizontal spits over a charcoal fire.

The waiters parade sword-like skewers through the dining room, carving the meat right onto the customer's plates.

Said meats come in dazzling variety.

Eight to 10 different cuts at a typical churrascaria.

A couple dozen at a really good place.

The food is served with such belt loosening largesse, guests are provided with little stop signs to advise the waiters they can't eat another bite.

Now, that's what I call barbecue.

Irineu Arosi comes by his passion for barbecue naturally.

He grew up in Brazil's barbecue heartland in Rio Grande do Sul.

At the age of 16, he moved to S�o Paulo, where he worked at some of the top grill restaurants in Brazil.

In 2014, he joined a new Brazilian steakhouse here in San Antonio called Chama Gacha.

He's here to show us how to prepare Brazil's most famous cut of beef, picanha.

Irineu, bem-vindo.

Welcome to Planet Barbecue.

Muito obrigado.

It's a pleasure to be here.

-Thanks for having me.

-Tell me about picanha.

[Irineu] Well, picanha is the most traditional and the most famous cut of the churrascaria right now.

[Steven] What is picanha exactly?

[Irineu] Picanha is the prime cut of the top sirloin.

Top sirloin.

Okay.

So, it comes from back here.

It's from the back.

[Steven] And sometimes I've heard it called fat cap sirloin?

[Irineu] Correct.

So, the fat gives a little more flavor and more tenderness for the picanha.

[Steven] That looks like about an inch thick layer of fat.

Yes.

Once we start cutting, we're going to trim the extra fat before we put it on the grill.

As you can see, the marble of this.

[Steven] It's just gorgeous.

Yes.

It's amazing.

Yep.

And you've kind of cut across the grain.

[Irineu] Yep.

So, you trim a little of that extra fat off.

Okay.

So, you come through one side.

You curl over and then you come through the other side.

Beautiful.

So, it's almost forming like a comma.

Yes.

And what about these guys?

We're not going to use these guys?

We can do one more.

One more, okay.

And I suppose, these you could just cook on the grill or... A little side.

...make kabab.

That would be for appetizer.

Ah, for appetizer.

Okay.

Mm.

Beautiful.

Great.

That looks magnificent.

That is such an iconic view.

[Irineu] And then we're only going to season with sea salt.

[Steven] Okay.

[Irineu] Very light, so we don't change the flavor of the meats.

And Irineu, I noticed you're sprinkling the salt from very high up.

Why is that?

On all the pieces, even amount of salt.

An even layer of salt.

Okay, great.

Ready to put in the grill.

Yeah, ready to put it on the grill.

All right.

And we'll just switch on the motor.

There we go.

[Irineu] We're just going to wait.

How long do you think it will take?

About 10 to 12 minutes.

Ten to 12 minutes, okay.

And we are grilling over a mesquite wood fire.

Now, I know that's a little different because in Brazil you cook primarily over charcoal.

[Irineu] Yeah, we use mesquite charcoal.

Mesquite charcoal.

So, this is real mesquite wood, so we'll get even more-- [Irineu] Give a little more flavor.

[Steven] Very good.

When I was in Brazil, I saw on the menu it said beef with flour, con farinha.

What the heck is farinha?

They call it farinha de mandioca, is what they call.

This is a traditional accompaniment to beef in Brazil.

That is.

Yes.

In Brazil, it's a very traditional dish to serve along with a picanha.

And the idea is it absorbs the meat juice, right?

Correct.

Yes.

[Steven] Okay, so we're going to start with four tablespoons of butter and we'll saute bacon.

[Irineu] Some diced bacon.

[Steven] Okay, diced bacon.

Red bell pepper.

And finely chopped scallion.

Very colorful.

I'm going to stir that around.

Now in Brazil you'd use something called farinha de mandioca, right?

Cassava flour or manioc flour.

Yeah, carioca flour.

[Steven] Right.

And if you can't find that, panko breadcrumbs work great.

So that's what we are going to use today.

But we want to brown the bacon a little bit, right?

[Irineu] Yes, so we're going to let it saute a little bit.

[Steven] All right.

So how many days a week do you eat beef?

Seven days.

[Steven] Seven days.

Even on my day off.

[Steven] Even on your day off?

Yes.

And lunch and dinner or just lunch?

Lunch and dinner.

We're ready for the-- [Irineu] For the farinha.

[Steven] For the farinha, or in this case the panko.

Little salt, a little pepper, and here we go.

You can tell me how close we are.

Mm.

Like a real Brazilian.

Well, thank you.

Obrigado.

Muito bom.

Irieu, is there a sauce you serve with beef in Brazil?

There is a sauce called molho campanha.

It is a very popular sauce that goes along with the beef as well.

It means "country sauce," right?

Yeah.

We do have some onions.

[Steven] Go ahead.

[Irineu] We got a red bell pepper.

[Steven] Red bell pepper.

[Irineu] Green bell pepper.

[Steven] Green bell pepper.

[Irineu] Yellow bell pepper.

[Steven] Yellow bell pepper.

[Irineu] Some serrano pepper.

And some parsley.

[Steven] Parsley.

[Irineu] We got vinegar.

[Steven] Vinegar.

Go ahead.

Olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil.

About like that?

Little more?

[Irineu] That's enough.

That'd be good.

[Steven] Okay.

And finally-- [Irineu] Some salt.

[Steven] Some salt.

And pepper.

Freshly ground black pepper.

[Irineu] Let's mix here.

[Steven] It's almost like a Brazilian salsa.

Yes.

It's like a salsa.

But a lot of people, they call it pico de gallo.

[Steven] Brazilian version.

There we go.

Shall we?

Mm.

Beautiful.

Very fresh.

[Irineu] Amazing.

[Steven] Country.

A little heat.

Nice.

Okay, so now what?

Ready for the picanha?

I am.

Obviously we're going to use those special gloves right now to be able to get the skewer.

[Steven] It looks fantastic.

Beautiful.

What an amazing piece of meat.

[Steven] Oh my gosh.

That looks astonishing.

Are you ready?

I'm ready.

[Irineu] Let's start from the top then.

[Steven] All right.

Beautiful.

Look at that.

It is perfectly cooked.

Let me give you some of our farofa.

And the molho campanha.

Okay.

That's what we do in Brazil.

Mm.

This is insanely good.

If you want to add a little extra flavor, of course you can use a little bit of farofa.

Mm.

And the crunch, that's really nice.

I like it with the panko.

Mhmm.

[Steven] And then we get a little bit here.

Mm.

What's really extraordinary is the beef.

It's a very meaty cut.

Like you think about filet mignon, tender, not much flavor.

This has an enormous amount of flavor, very tender.

The fat keeps it moist.

Got a nice smoked flavor from the mesquite too.

It does.

Yes.

[Steven] Mm.

Outstanding.

So, I think in Brazil when you like something, you say pinga, right?

Pinga, yes.

You squeeze your little earlobes, pinga.

Correct.

[Steven] Irineu, muito obrigado.

Thank you so much for joining us on Planet Barbecue.

[Irineu] Thank you, Steven.

Thanks for having me.

-I'm diving in for more.

-Let's enjoy this.

Mm.

At first glance, our next dish may seem more German than Brazilian.

Playing the salty smoke of bacon against the fruity sweetness of prunes.

The kinship is no accident.

It comes from the Churrascaria Schneider in Rio Grande do Sul, in Southern Brazil.

Like the Schneider's, more than 5 million Brazilians claim German descent.

I give you grilled pork tenderloin with bacon and prunes.

Step number one, soak the prunes in Cachaa or rum.

Cachaa is a Brazilian cane spirit.

It's the essential ingredient in Brazil's national cocktail, the caipirinha.

Step number two, take your pork tenderloin.

Make a cut in the end of the tenderloin, halfway through and fold it under to create a cylinder of meat of roughly the same thickness from one end to the other.

Step number three, using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket in the side of the pork tenderloin.

Go to but not through the back.

Open the pocket and season the inside of the pork tenderloin with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For an extra layer of flavor, spread the inside of the pork with Dijon style mustard.

Now, add your Cachaa soaked prunes.

And close the pork tenderloin.

Then season the outside of the pork with more coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Season the bottom the same way.

Next, the bacon.

Take four pieces of butcher string and arrange them parallel about two inches apart.

Then take a strip of bacon and lay it down the center.

Lift your stuffed pork tenderloin.

Place it on top of the bacon with the cut facing upwards.

Now take a second strip of bacon along one side.

Then the other side.

And finally, over the top.

Bring the ends of the first string together.

And I like to make a double loop; one, two.

And this double loop locks the knot in place.

Tie off the string and tie it shut.

Then cut off the ends of the strings.

And here's your stuffed pork tenderloin.

Keep it on ice while you prepare the grill.

To grill the pork tenderloins, I'm working over charcoal.

Charcoal is the preferred fuel of Brazil.

As always, we start by cleaning the grill grate... ...then lubricating it with a folded paper towel dipped in oil... ...and drawn across the bars of the grate.

Now, place the pork loins on the grill grate.

And cover the grill to hold in the heat.

Total cooking time, about 20 minutes.

And every five minutes or so, we'll give the pork loins a quarter turn, so they brown evenly.

Once the bottom is brown, turn the pork on the second side and brown the second side the same way.

Remember when you're grilling, it's not just about timing or minutes.

You do it by feel.

You'd look at the color, the smell, even the sound, the sizzle.

Those are your cues as to when to turn the meat.

I can see this side is cooking a little faster than this side.

So, we'll simply swap the pork loins out.

Remember, your goal as grill master is to wind up with a consistent result.

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for the pork to cook.

I'm getting hungry.

It's been 20 minutes.

The pork should be done.

Whoa!

The pork looks great.

But to check its doneness, use an instant read meat thermometer.

So, insert it deep into the center of the roast.

You're looking for about 155 degrees.

Remember, it's going to continue to cook.

There we go.

Off comes the pork.

And let the meat rest for five minutes or so.

Remember meat hot off the grill, a little dry.

You let it rest.

The meat relaxes.

The juices redistribute.

You'll have a much juicier roast.

While the meat rests, you can snip off the trussing strings.

To serve the pork loin, cut it crosswise into half inch thick medallions.

Then take your pork slices and arrange them on the plate.

To serve with the pork, a traditional Brazilian accompaniment, tutu mineira, black beans with chopped hard cooked eggs.

And there you have it, folks, grilled pork tenderloin with bacon and prunes.

Let's see how we did.

Cut a piece of pork and a piece of prune.

Mm.

That's really nice.

The smokiness of the bacon, the sweetness of the prune.

The pork is very moist, tender.

And I'll take a taste of the beans.

Mm.

Creamy and garlicky.

So, there you have it, grilled pork tenderloin with bacon and prunes from Southern Brazil to your grill.

In Brazil, beef is sacrosanct with the only permissible seasoning being salt.

Chicken, pork?

Well, that's another story.

Our next dish may remind you of Swiss chicken cordon bleu, but it's inspired by one of the most iconic churrascarias in Rio de Janeiro, Porc�o.

I give you Rio chicken rollatini.

Start with a boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Sandwich it between two sheets of plastic wrap and using a heavy implement, pound it into a flat scallopini.

Season it generously with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Turn it over and season the other side the same way.

Then spread the chicken breast with mayonnaise.

This will help keep the chicken moist.

Then add a layer of smoked ham for a smokey flavor, a layer of grated Gruyre cheese for cheesy goodness, a couple of onion slices for aromatic crunch and cornichon pickles for tartness.

And roll the chicken breast up to form a tight roulade.

Now take two pieces of butcher string, bring them under the roulade.

We come up one, make a double loop.

You've seen this before.

This is this lock knot, so useful in barbecue.

Pull it tight.

Take the other string and pull it tight the same way.

Then snip off the extra strings.

And there's your chicken roulade.

In Brazil, most of the grilling is done on a rotisserie.

And restaurants like Porc�o have these incredible rotisserie systems.

A wall of stainless steel, motors behind, spits that stick out horizontally on which every imaginable meat and seafood and poultry are spit-roasted.

At home, you want to use a grill fitted with a rotisserie.

Set it up for direct grilling heat to medium high.

We're going to grill these chicken rollatini in a rotisserie basket.

So first, using extra virgin olive oil, you want to oil the basket well to prevent sticking.

Then oil the tops of the rollatini.

Now, arrange the rollatini in the grill basket oil side down.

And then oil the tops of the rollatini with more extra virgin olive oil.

Finally, oil the lid of the grill basket.

The oil, again, prevents sticking.

Also gives you a nice sheen, nice sizzling crust on the outside.

Now, position the lid of the grill basket.

You want this nice and snug.

Now, take the rotisserie basket and insert the end of the rotisserie spit in the motor socket.

Switch on the rotisserie motor, and that's all there is to it.

Now, the beauty of working on a rotisserie and in particular with this rotisserie basket, this slow gentle rotation will help baste the chicken breasts as they cook.

Gives you a sizzling exterior, oozy, melty luscious cheese on the inside.

Total cooking time here, 15 to 20 minutes.

To speed up the cooking process, we will close the lid of the grill.

It's been 15 minutes.

The chicken rollatini should be ready.

Wow, take a look.

Visual cue that tells me we're done, but with poultry, it's always a good idea to use an instant read thermometer.

One-hundred-and-sixty-five.

Bingo.

Put gloves on.

Remember, all the rotisserie parts are going to be extremely hot.

And then we'll simply pull the spit out of the socket and transfer the chicken to a sheet pan.

And then you want to pinch the bottom, pinch the top, and take off the top.

These look pretty awesome.

So, let's see how we did.

Snip off those strings.

And to go with the chicken, some crazy rice.

The recipe's on our website.

We'll cut the chicken rollatini in half, and take a look at that.

Mm.

Smokey ham, melty cheese, tangy cornichon, it's a carnival of flavor.

So, the next time you want to grill a stuffed chicken breast, take it for a spin on the rotisserie.

So that's our show on The Brazilian Grill.

We're Planet Barbecue.

Thanks for watching.

See you next time.

[announcer] For recipes, books, and more live fire cooking, visit StevenRaichlen.com.

You can also follow Steven Raichlen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Steven Raichlen's "Planet Barbecue" was made possible by... [narrator 1] This is the Big Green Egg, where fire and flavor come together.

You can roast, bake, and sear with the versatility of a grill, oven, and barbecue smoker combined.

Locate a dealer at BigGreenEgg.com.

[narrator 2] Fire Magic, combining style with the versatility to sear, smoke, rotisserie cook, and charcoal grill.

Crafted in America for over 80 years.

[music] Shun Cutlery handcrafted in Japan.

[narrator 3] Father's Cooker, multi-fuel, multifunction.

[narrator 3] Argentine Beef proudly supports "Planet Barbecue."

[narrator 4] Truly wireless temperature starts with Maverick.

[announcer] And by the following: [Matt] Here we go.

Yeah, I can't see this way.

[Melanie] Here we go.

Still rolling.

I'm Steven Raichlen.

This is Planet Barbecue.

[Matt] I don't need, "I'm Steven Raichlen."

How come?

[Matt] I don't know.

Look at that.

Look at that.

Look at that.

In Brazil, beef is sacrosanct with the only-- -[Matt] Hold on.

-[crew] Hold on.

[crew] Helicopter.

[Steven] Chicken, pork?

Well, that's another story.

[Matt] Hold on.

[Melanie] Go back.

You're in the shot.

Did I smile during that one, by the way?

[Matt] Yeah.