Anticucho is a meat dish consisting of small pieces of skewered and grilled meat, the most popular of them made with beef heart, called anticuchos de corazón. Incan in origin, the dish quickly gained popularity throughout South and Central America.
The first written recipe dates back to the 16th century, referring to a meal of marinated llama meat cooked directly over a fire. When the conquistadors encountered the dish, they modified it to make it their own, replacing the llama meat with beef, which was skewered on sugar cane stalks.
Today, the meat is typically marinated in red wine vinegar and spices such as garlic, cumin, and aji pepper - developing a fruity flavor when roasted. Anticucho can be found throughout Peru and has spread to other South American countris (especially popular in Bolivia) on numerous street carts and street food stalls, called anticucheras.
At the heart of this recipe, literally, is a beef heart, transformed through marination in a rich blend of vinegar, ground panca ají pepper, garlic, and dark beer into something juicy and tender yet chewy. The unique method of basting the skewered pieces with a sauce using a corn-husk brush while grilling further enriches the dish. Pairing these skewers with grilled corn and potatoes rounds out the meal.
The following is an anticuchos de suri recipe adapted for at-home preparation. The larvae are washed, marinated with garlic, pepper, and salt, then fried, resulting in crispy and fatty parcels that should be threaded onto skewers for an authentic presentation. Fry slices of unripe plantains and serve them alongside the skewers for a complete dish.
At the heart of this recipe, literally, is a beef heart, transformed through marination in a rich blend of vinegar, ground panca ají pepper, garlic, and dark beer into something juicy and tender yet chewy. The unique method of basting the skewered pieces with a sauce using a corn-husk brush while grilling further enriches the dish. Pairing these skewers with grilled corn and potatoes rounds out the meal.