Apr 10, 2018

Anticuchos (beef heart skewers)

Ingredients:

  • 1 Kg of beef heart (it could be replaced with some tender meat, fish or even squid)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
  • 3/4 cup of red vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of aji panca paste (Peruvian red chili paste or it could be replaced with 2 tablespoons of ground paprika and 2 tablespoons of water)
  • 2 tablespoons of oil
  • Salt
  • 8 regular-small size potatoes, boiled and peeled
  • 10-inch skewers

Preparation:

Thinly sliced the beef heart and cut it into squares of about 5 cm. long (approximately 2 inches). Place the pieces of beef heart in a tray or bowl.

In a small bowl, blend the vinegar, black pepper, cumin, salt, garlic and aji panca until you get a soft paste. Pour the paste over the heart pieces and mix well. Cover and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Thread the beef heart onto the skewers. Stick three or four pieces of heart in each skewer, so that the meat lays flat. Save the rest of the marinade in a cup or small bowl and add the oil to it, use this for basting the anticuchos on the grill. Place the skewers on a hot grill rack coated with cooking spray, use a charcoal grill for best results. Grill each side for approximately 2 minutes, do not overcook.

Serve hot, with slices of boiled potatoes and hot sauce. You can also add pieces of boiled corn when serving. 

Apr 2, 2018

Sudado de Carne (beef stew)

This variant of the sudado de carne is typical from Arequipa, in the South of Peru.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Kg of beef, a tender cut is recommended (approximately 2 lbs.)
  • 2 regular size onions in small dices
  • 1 1/2 cup of peeled diced tomato
  • 4 cups of dark beer (a non so hoppy and alcoholic one is recommended)
  • 1 tablespoon of aji panca paste (Peruvian red chili paste or it could be replaced by 2 teaspoons of ground paprika)
  • 3 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic puree
  • 4 teaspoons of salt
  • 4 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 rocoto in small dices (it could be replaced with ground cayenne pepper)
Preparation:

Put the oil, garlic, cumin and aji panca in a pot on low heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the meat cut in small dices (approx. 1.5 cm or 1/2 inch) and the black pepper and mix well. Cover the pot and let it cook on medium temperature for 10 minutes stirring once or twice. Add the tomato, bay leaves and beer and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add the onions and 1 tablespoon of diced rocoto (or 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper) and let it cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion is soft.

Serve with your favorite crusty bread (ciabatta, French baguette or Kaiser roll), in order to dip the bread in the stew. Put the remaining rocoto in a small bowl to add it to plates at will.

Mar 31, 2018

Causa de Atun (layered potato tuna salad)

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 Kg. of yellow potatoes
  • 3 180g cans of tuna fish
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon of aji amarillo paste
  • 4 limes
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • 6 lettuce leafs
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • 12 black olives (halved or pitted)
  • Salt
  • Parsley
  • Black pepper
Preparation:

Boil the potatoes with their skins on and some salt. Peel once cooked and mash them. Let them cool down. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, the lime juice and the aji amarillo and mix well, gradually adding the oil to keep the mixture smooth.

In a bowl, mix the tuna fish with the onions and mayonnaise. Add some salt and black pepper.

In order to assemble this dish you need to have a layer of the tuna filling in between two layers of potatoes and decorate it with slices of hard boiled eggs, olives, parsley and lettuce. You can assemble individual plates by using cookie cutters or you can prepare a big one from where to cut individual slices by using a tray or the outer ring of a springform pan. Alternatively you can put a layer of potatoes and a layer of the tuna filling on a plastic wrap and carefully roll it, as a jelly roll. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours before serving.

Shredded chicken, crab meat or shrimp can be used instead of tuna fish for the filling. Avocados and tomatoes can also be used for decoration or even for an extra layer of filling.