Cachambeer: Pleasures of the flesh in Zona Norte
Much as I love many Brazilian cuisine, I think very few people would described it as ‘sophisticated’. That’s not meant as an insult, but I think it’s fair to say that most Brazilian dishes fit into the category ‘comfort food’ rather than, say, ‘delicate and complex’. And although Brazil has 7,500km of coastline (more than twice that of Peru), many visitors are surprised at how little seafood finds its way onto Brazilian menus – meat usually takes pride of place.
Brazilian eating culture also places a lot of emphasis on dishes that are bem servido (served in generous portions) – restaurant menus often include suggestions for how many people main dishes will serve, but unless you’re a powerlifter you can safely multiply the suggestion by 2.
Well a couple of years ago I heard talk of a bar/restaurant way up in Zona Norte that took the Brazilian predilection for huge portions and roast meats to extreme levels and last weekend I finally got to visit.
Cachambeer
Cachambeer is located in the far northern neighbourhood of Cachambi. The bar was previously called Seu Manoel and owned by a rather grumpy old Portuguese guy of the same name. One afternoon in 2002, Manoel complained to a group of his regulars that they made too much noise and too much trouble for him – he wanted to close the business and go fishing!
One of the group of regulars was Marcelo Novaes and he decided he would take Manoel at his word and take the bar off his hands. Cachambeer was born.
Waiting to be seated. Cachambeer gets very busy on weekends, so waiters walk up and down the line taking orders and delivering beers and snacks to those waiting.
Today, Novaes’ bar is infamous for its extreme meat dishes, and with menu options such as Tábua Hipertensão (Hypertension platter) and Tábua Infarto Completo (Total heart attack platter), you can’t say you weren’t warned.
Picanha de Sol, pork ribs, breaded shrimps, lamb strips, smoked sausage, bacon and carne seca farofa. …Erm, can I just have a salad?
We had delayed our visit for months due to a vague idea that it would be a hassle to make such a long journey, but in fact it was pretty easy: we took the metro to Del Castílho and then took a short taxi ride to the bar. We arrived to find a long queue which looked ominous, but it moved quickly and we were seated at a table within 10 minutes.
An icy cold beer helped while away the 10 minute wait for a table.
We started with the obligatory pastel (note the notches to help identify the filling).
As well as its famous fans (Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, is a devotee), Cachambeer is known for one particular dish – Costela no bafo. The “costela” refers to a 2kg hunk of beef rib which is first marinated for 12 hours in a mixture of garlic, onion, sage, marjoram and basil, then sealed in roasting wrap and cooked for 3-4 hours in an enclosed space above hot coals. By cooking it this way (“no bafo“), the meat is effectively steamed in its own juices, meaning the end result is unbelievably tender and juicy.
The famous Costela no Bafo. According to the menu, this should feed 2 people.
I don’t think the picture above does this thing justice – this was an enormous quantity of meat. With the accompaniments of (you guessed it) rice, fries and farofa, I’d say this could have fed 6 people easily.
Verdict
I’m not going to lie to you – while this might not be complicated or particularly attractive-looking food, it was absolutely delicious. However, there’s something off-putting about being confronted with such a huge mountain of rich, fatty meat. Even the walls were plastered with photos of heart-attack inducing meat orgies and after a while I found myself wanting to eat a green salad and go for a run (though, of course, by the end of the meal I could do neither of those things).
Bottom line: Despite its location, Cachambeer is fairly easily reached and if you’re in the mood for a full-on, belly-busting, artery-clogging meat extravaganza at a very reasonable price, it’s definitely worth a visit. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when it comes time for your triple bypass…
Mmmm, the farofa was excellent.
Give me just the red meat, that good looking pimenta in the background, some bread and vinaigrette. Hold the milanesa stuff, pastel, bacon, and sausages. There, suddenly it is not so heart attack enducing. İt doesn’t look like they have such a platter though. What a feather (que pena).
Yes, the beef itself was totally delicious, and having asked them to embalar it for us, we continued the meal for the next 3 or 4 days. Turns out to be pretty good value for money when you look at it like that!
The downside is that once it’s been in the fridge overnight, the copious amounts of beef fat solidify into opaque droplets coating the meat. Of course that’s why it tasted so delicious in the first place, but it’s more aesthetically pleasing the first time round when all that fatty goodness just looks like general succulence.
Looks like the type of place I’m going to have to put on my things to do when I get down there next month for the tourny. Love the blog by the way, very informative.
Thanks Devin – I’m sure you’re going to love it! You just might want to consider skipping breakfast that day though ;)
Try some dill pickles next time. Sour stuff
Hi Bella – thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely look out for the dill pickles next time – something sour would be perfect to offset all that rich meat :)