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Foodwise it doesn’t get any more Peruvian than eating Anticuchos on the street. The spicy skewers - traditionally prepared with beef hearts - marinated in a mixture of aji panca, lime juice and / or vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and grilled over open fire are deeply engraved in the culinary soul of every Peruvian and part of Peru’s gastronomic history for centuries.
Most probably Anticuchos originated in the Colonial era of Peru; however, there are some indications that similar dishes prepared with llama and alpaca meat were already prepared during the Inca Empire.
Anyway, during Colonial times African slaves worked on the sugar and cotton haciendas owned mainly by the families of the Spanish conquerors and their descendants. When these butchered a cow or ox, they kept the “good” parts to themselves and gave the offal, what they considered waste, to their slaves as meat ration. And without knowing it at that time the African slaves created with the Antichuos de Corozon (beef heart skewers) one of the most popular and delicious typical Peruvian dishes using the few basic ingredients available to them.
Already at the end of the Colonial era, but especially after Peru’s independence, in Republican times, indigenous and black Peruvians - mostly women - grilled Anticuchos over open fire under big clouds of smoke on the streets seducing passers-by with the beguiling smell of freshly grilled meat and spices. And the tradition lives on until today.
Today Anticuchos are still mostly a street foot or outdoors food (yes, you get them in restaurants as well, but it’s not the same), eaten on the go, at gatherings with family and friends, after common activities, at fairs or whenever people crave something smelling and tasting like home, childhood and just Peru.
The key to delicious Anticuchos is the marinate and every anticuchero/a (man or women preparing Anticuchos on the street), every chef or every mamita and abuelita of course has his or her “secret” recipe for it. So below find a basic recipe with which you can quickly and easily prepare typical Peruvian Anticuchos no matter where you are; the only ingredient that might be a bit tricky to find is the aji panca paste; however outside Peru, where it’s readily available, you can get it at most Latin American food stores.
Anticuchos are usually served with rustic boiled potatoes cut into thick slices, boiled choclo and Aji Criollo.
LimaEasy's Recipe for Anticuchos
Ingredients:
- 450 g beef heart (1 pound) - if you aren’t that adventures you can use beef meat or chicken
- 4 - 5 Tbsp aji panca paste
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar
- 2 Peruvian limes, juiced
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil or dark beer
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- boiled potatoes, cut into thick slices
- boiled choclos
- Aji criollo
Preparation:
- Thoroughly clean the beef heart taking out veins and sinew and cut into 5 cm (2 inches) chunks.
- In a bowl large enough to hold the chunks of heart mix the aji panca paste, the vinegar, the lime juice, the oil or beer, the garlic and spices until well combined.
- Add the heart cubes and with a large spoon stir until all pieces are covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a lid, place it into the fridge and let sit there for at least 4 hours, best overnight.
- Skewer 3 to 4 heart chunks onto thick bamboo skewers (normal ones work as well); keep the marinade!
- Grill the beef heart skewers on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side basting with the rest of the marinade - traditionally a “brush” made of corn husks is used, a “normal” thick brush does the trick as well.
- Put the skewers on plates and serve with the potato slices, corn and Aji criollo.
- Enjoy!
