Churrasco

I Heart Churrasco

Back in September I told you a little about the Churrasco, the Brazilian Barbecue. I was writing it coming off the back of our first ever churrasco held on our roof and I was still marvelling at the different way that they do it over here. The things that I was most struck by were the way the food was cooked so high above the coals, that the meat was so amazing, and the way that most of the meat was cut into small portions and shared amongst the group, enabling every to keep eating for hours…

Vegetarians look away now.

Well since that first barbecue, winter has turned into spring, and I’ve been to quite a few more churrascos. And recently I got to try something I had heard about but never tasted…

Hearts. To be precise, chicken hearts, coração de galinha. Chicken hearts are quite a big deal here and it seems that a churrasco isn’t really a churrasco without them. In fact towards the end of that evening back in September someone did sidle up and say “You know, next time you should have the chicken hearts”. I whole heartedly agreed as I have always enjoyed some meaty ingredients that make some people say “that looks offal!”. 


If properly cooked then I’m a big fan of calf’s liver, lamb kidneys, chitterlings, you name it. Well, before I try to sound too tough I should say that there have been a couple of things I hated. Calf’s brain on toast was pretty yucky. As for tripe? I still have nightmares over that…

Tripe, the lining of a cow’s stomach. My food nemesis.

But still, I had seen these little chicken hearts on several occasions and I thought they looked like they would be delicious. They are usually seen threaded onto long skewers and then roasted until they are browned. In case you haven’t tried them yourself here are some waiting to be cooked:

Little chicken hearts. Lots of little chicken hearts.



Well recently (finally!) I was at a churrasco which had these on the grill. I managed to take a few snaps of this momentous occasion:

Yes, kind of strange, these hearts where being barbecued alongside bananas.  No one else seemed to think this was strange so I just went with it.

 

Heart on a plate. Three of them in fact. They are quite clearly hearts aren’t they? If you have a problem with your meat looking like part of a real animal then maybe they’re not for you (and maybe you should consider vegetarianism?).



So, finally I tried chicken hearts. My verdict: pretty good. Maybe a 6.5/10. On popping one in my mouth I found it to be a little bit chewy, but also moist and with a rich, earthy flavour. I wouldn’t go nuts for these, but I’ll definitely be popping a few more on my plate next time I get the chance. 


One thing that I have heard puts a lot of people off is the sheer quantity you see. When each heart represents the life of a chicken, it is quite sobering to see hundreds and hundreds in one place at a time. I actually saw one online discussion with people wondering how many hearts a chicken has. On being informed that each bird has just one, they were horrified: “Chickens must have 4 hearts! Otherwise there must be a massacre in the butchers shop to kill that many chickens!”. 


I guess the answer is that either you eat chicken or you don’t. If you do eat chicken, then it seems like a good thing to eat as much of it as possible. So I’m happy to eat the heart. Just don’t offer me the lining of its stomach. Or its brains. On toast.

14 replies
  1. Anita
    Anita says:

    One heart = 4 chambers.
    I think chicken hearts are a big UGH !!
    I cannot even see the pics.
    Yes, I have some taboos about eating organs, and some animals – such as horses, dogs, rabbits, alligators, etc.. Not so sure I would be able to become a vegetarian though…

    Reply
  2. The Gritty Poet
    The Gritty Poet says:

    Before I read the caption I thought you were the one that put those bananas there. Anyway is it strange to do that (I have never seen it done in Brazil), and did it taste ok? Since my banana cooking knowledge equals nada I dare not opine. It would be cool to know though as I am set on trying out a banana + red meat combo. Any suggestions that would be doable with ingredients easily found in Brazil?

    I like chicken hearts, specially with tabasco sauce. I imagine they would go even better with a heartier hot sauce (NPI), like a good chunky tomato hot sauce. Yum.

    As for tripe fear why not try this?

    http://sorayapianco.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/buchada-de-bode/

    It's actually ok. The tripe is seasoned along with other "goodies" and inserted into a sheep's stomach for cooking.

    Here is something similar from your neck of the woods.

    http://brittthescotsman.blogspot.com/2009/05/isso-e-buchada-de-bode-ou-haggis.html

    And congratulations, you are no longer a chicken heart virgin.

    Reply
  3. Brae
    Brae says:

    Ha! I tried them for the first time at a churrasco in Vitoria ES last year. I had no idea they were hearts until after I had tried them. I have to admit I was disgusted, but they were tasty. The best though is cheese on the spits! Yummmmm

    Reply
  4. Tom Le Mesurier
    Tom Le Mesurier says:

    @Anita, I guess I would like to be a real food tough guy, but I too have things I can't eat (or wouldn't want to).

    @Gritty, good call – hot sauce with hearts sounds like it would definitely work. I have been reading Brasilicana's recent description of Buchada (http://brasilicana.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/the-buchada-saga/) and I too thought of haggis. I haven't tried either, so I can't say for sure, but they both sound awful…

    Hia Brae! You tried them without knowing what they were? That's like the ultimate blind taste test isn't it? And the thing is you liked them right? Hmmm, interesting – would you have them again now that you know what they are? I'm totally with you on the grilled cheese skewers (Queijo Coalho I believe – cheese that squeeks when you eat it) – that stuff is great!

    Reply
  5. Chelle O
    Chelle O says:

    Chicken hearts are indeed tasty. I think i also tried them with cheese, which makes anything taste ten times more tasty!!

    Haggis is lovely! Like a peppery black pudding but a little more course in texture. Still not as chunky as buchada sounds, and definitely not as likely to find 'stringy' bits to pull out of your teeth. The consistency is a little like a meaty cous cous. Yum!

    Reply
  6. Ana
    Ana says:

    What's the strangeness about bananas in a barbecue ? Well, when the meats are almost finished, it's time for some bananas in aluminium foil. Warm caramelized bananas & ice cream is a great combi for a dessert !

    Reply
  7. The Gritty Poet
    The Gritty Poet says:

    @ Tom: Since you are a Habanero fan how about this as a sauce for the chicken hearts.
    http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/11/roasted-habanero-salsa.html
    Perhaps bake a potato and add the hearts plus sauce mix ( Batata Gritty let's call it). Or use a tortilla as the recepient thus creating the first Chicken Heart Taco. All the chefs in Mexico will be terribly jealous.
    I also wonder if chicken hearts should be cooked in the oven during long periods at low temperatures. After all if it's connective tissue that makes them chewy then won't this method solve the issue by melting said tissue without burning the heart? Perhaps this is why I have noticed different levels of chewyness in chicken hearts according to establishment. The less chewy ones that are not dried out are the best in my opinion.

    Reply
  8. Tom Le Mesurier
    Tom Le Mesurier says:

    Hey Chelle! I should have known better than to diss the national dish of Scotland! More to the point, I should know better than to say something is awful if I haven't tried it. I've heard quite a few people (not all of them native Scots) say Haggis is good so next time I'm back I'll have to go on a haggis hunt!

    @Ana, nothing weird about bananas on a barbecue – I just thought it was a strange sight seeing them snuggled up to the chicken hearts like that (eating the two together would be a little weird wouldn't it?). I don't normally bother with dessert, but on that occasion they served them (the bananas) with icecream and loads of cinnamon (canela) on top and it was *really* good!

    Reply
  9. Tom Le Mesurier
    Tom Le Mesurier says:

    @Gritty, that salsa looks good. I'm expecting the chillies in a 3 or 4 weeks, so I'll be sure to give it a try. I have no idea about the slow roast chicken heart thing, but they're so cheap that it wouldn't hurt to try.

    Reply
  10. Tom Le Mesurier
    Tom Le Mesurier says:

    Yeah, churrasco is so good (and surprisingly different to what I think of as a barbecue). If only it would stop raining in Rio I'd be making plans for this weekend…

    Reply
  11. Andréa Potsch
    Andréa Potsch says:

    Adoro churrasco mas não como coração de jeito nenhum! :) Imagino a aventura que deve ser para os que não estão acostumados com eles…
    abçs e obrigada pela visita a meu blog

    Reply
  12. Brae
    Brae says:

    Tom: If had of known what they were I wouldn't have tried them and now that I know, I will probably never try them again. The thought of eating heart doesn't sit well with me :)

    Reply
  13. Tom Le Mesurier
    Tom Le Mesurier says:

    @Andréa, obrigado você! Eu gosto de muitas coisas que outras pessoas não gostam – é normal para mim, mas talvez eu não sou normal! ;)

    @Brae, well at least you tried it once right? But if the thought of heart bothers you then I'm sure it wouldn't taste good if you tried it again.

    Reply

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