lana-in-fl
Well-known member
My BIL and nephew came over for an espetada last night, and we kept it as like the ones they remembered from their youth as possible (I love it, practically no work for me!).
First they heated the skewers over the coals, then cleaned them by rubbing strips of the beef fat up and down the
skewers.http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_001a.JPG
They wiped the fat off with paper towels afterwards. Then they threaded the cubes of beef onto the skewers, and rolled them in a mixture of coarse salt and chopped fresh bay leaves.
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_004a.JPG
Cook over the coals - usually DH rests the skewers on a piece of metal in the coals, but last night, the coals were a bit high, and we didn't want ash on the meat, so they are a bit higher than usual. Both the guys (DH on left) said I mustn't forget to show an essential ingredient:
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_011a.JPG
When the meat is cooked, we hang the skewers from the hooks in the eaves, and DD shows how to remove a piece of meat using a piece of bread.
Non-Floridians, look at the thermometer. This was about 7:30 in the evening.
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_013a.JPG
My nephew loved this - no-one nagging him to eat salad for a change.
We finished off the evening with a poncha (citrus punch, the Portuguese verson of caipirinha), and the guys said I had to show that being made as well.(Sorry, my picture didn't come out well.)
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_015a.JPG
But Joe, DH says ordinary skewers will be fine. He just had to have these big ones to recreate the ambience of his youth. I agree with him - takes me right back to our early days together. We just didn't have the oversweet sangria made with his Dad's homemade wine.
First they heated the skewers over the coals, then cleaned them by rubbing strips of the beef fat up and down the
skewers.http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_001a.JPG
They wiped the fat off with paper towels afterwards. Then they threaded the cubes of beef onto the skewers, and rolled them in a mixture of coarse salt and chopped fresh bay leaves.
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_004a.JPG
Cook over the coals - usually DH rests the skewers on a piece of metal in the coals, but last night, the coals were a bit high, and we didn't want ash on the meat, so they are a bit higher than usual. Both the guys (DH on left) said I mustn't forget to show an essential ingredient:
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_011a.JPG
When the meat is cooked, we hang the skewers from the hooks in the eaves, and DD shows how to remove a piece of meat using a piece of bread.
Non-Floridians, look at the thermometer. This was about 7:30 in the evening.
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_013a.JPG
My nephew loved this - no-one nagging him to eat salad for a change.
We finished off the evening with a poncha (citrus punch, the Portuguese verson of caipirinha), and the guys said I had to show that being made as well.(Sorry, my picture didn't come out well.)
http://starbright.su.tripod.com/espetada_015a.JPG
But Joe, DH says ordinary skewers will be fine. He just had to have these big ones to recreate the ambience of his youth. I agree with him - takes me right back to our early days together. We just didn't have the oversweet sangria made with his Dad's homemade wine.