With the right strategy, you can get the most for your all-you-can-eat money, without going into a food coma afterwards. Of course, if you do want to eat till you burst, this option remains available to you. Here are the best and worst things to order at a Brazilian steakhouse.
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00:00What are the best things to eat at a Brazilian steakhouse? We consulted with a chef and some
00:05notable experts in the Brazilian steakhouse dining world and got their advice on the best
00:10ways to spend your calories. Here's what to eat — and what not to eat — at a Brazilian steakhouse.
00:17Jean Delgado, the executive chef at Toro Toro in Miami, said,
00:21"'When anyone thinks of a Brazilian steakhouse,
00:23the first thing they think of is picanha. If you're not overly familiar with picanha,
00:27it's the crescent-shaped cut with the fat cap that's become the iconic image of Rodigio
00:32and the quintessential cut to get when you go."
00:35According to SteakScore, the cut is taken from the cow's backside,
00:38also called the rump cap, rump cover, sirloin cap, or occasionally culotte.
00:43But the Brazilian steakhouse preparation, with a hint of salt, is called picanha.
00:47Chef Delgado told Mashed that picanha is best served medium-rare to medium,
00:52to ensure that the fat and juices are all captured in the meat. He added that it's
00:56especially important to make sure that the picanha is sliced correctly as well.
01:00It should be cut against the grain to ensure the proper texture.
01:04The parade of side dishes that come out when you flip your card to green at a
01:07Brazilian steakhouse are a carb lover's dream. The waiter gracefully arrives bearing french fries,
01:13rice, mashed potatoes, yuca flour, fried polenta, beans, fried bananas, and broccoli and carrots,
01:19so you can pretend you're having a balanced, healthy meal.
01:22Fly & Dine appropriately calls them, quote,
01:25a distraction, and suggests limiting your sides consumption to about 20 percent of your total
01:30intake. The sides are much cheaper, yet still more filling than the steak circling your table,
01:35and therefore a far less efficient use of your money and appetite.
01:39The other quintessential Brazilian steakhouse menu item isn't even steak,
01:43according to Gene Delgado. It's seafood wrapped in pork. The traditional skewers of bacon-wrapped
01:48scallops start with fresh sea scallops, are then wrapped with thick slices of cured bacon,
01:53and are roasted in the rodigio until the bacon is delightfully crispy. The smoke flavor from
01:58the cured meat in the grill, along with the bacon fat, seeps into the savory scallops,
02:03creating a unique flavor that's hard to find elsewhere. Chef Delgado says,
02:08People love this classic dish. The mom and pops want to go back just for the bacon-wrapped
02:12scallops. They're not the only seafood item that's worth checking out at a Brazilian steakhouse,
02:17though. James Hills, author of the food and travel blog Man Tripping, wrote an extensive
02:21guide to Brazilian steakhouses. He told Mash that if you see a salmon or lobster in the rodigio,
02:26to give it a shot.
02:28Advising against ribeye is not to say that Brazilian steakhouses use lesser-quality
02:33cuts of meat than their American counterparts. In fact, in an interview with Fly & Dine,
02:38Enrique Opulhuia, head gaucho at Fogo de Chão in Los Angeles, revealed that the chain uses
02:44only 100 percent black Angus beef and that Fogo is highly selective about the cuts they pick.
02:49He said,
02:50You need naturally tender beef.
02:52And ribeye, especially higher-quality ribeye, still scores well in the tenderness department
02:57and is far higher in fat and flavor than filet mignon, according to Rob Report. But at the end
03:02of the day, it's still an American cut, and ultimately something you'll find in abundance
03:06elsewhere. As you settle in for your festival of meat at a Brazilian steakhouse, you may see your
03:12servers gliding around holding long metal skewers of sausage. Many times, this will be Brazilian
03:18chorizo, a cured meat sausage that's especially tasty out of the rodigio. According to HuffPost,
03:23the Brazilian version is very similar to the original Spanish chorizo,
03:27which includes sweet and hot varieties of pork mixed with paprika.
03:30Jean Delgado, executive chef at Toro Toro in Miami, said,
03:34If there's one item I love at a Brazilian steakhouse, it's chorizo. I think it's because
03:39they rotate it in with their steaks. It's just a great quality."
03:43In addition to the chorizo, Delgado also recommends trying the Brazilian brisket sausages,
03:47if they're being offered. He told MASH that the finely ground brisket is mixed with paprika and
03:52garlic that don't overpower the meat. And when it's smoked, it creates a flavor profile unique
03:57to this sausage. Filet mignon is often held up as the ultimate cut of steak, a tender,
04:02expensive variety that's used interchangeably with caviar and champagne in Lux Life Hyperbole.
04:08According to The Rob Report, this is mostly because the muscle that it comes from,
04:11the tenderloin in the lower back, is especially tender because it isn't used much.
04:16Katie Flannery, butcher and COO at Flannery Beef, told Rob Report,
04:20They're not doing gymnastics, so filet muscles get almost zero use during the animal's lifetime.
04:25That's why it's so tender. Fly & Dine points out that while filets, which are low in fat,
04:30are great as 6-ounce or 8-ounce cuts, little pieces of it wrapped in bacon really won't do
04:35much for you. When beef ribs come out at a Brazilian steakhouse, it's a little reminiscent
04:40of Fred Flintstone getting a slab of brontosaurus meat that's so big it topples his car.
04:45Would you like to try for a case of amnesia, jumbo? You wouldn't dare.
04:54James Hills described the visual of beef ribs brought to the table as a sight that's just as
04:59impressive to the eyes as it is to the stomach. He told MASHed,
05:02Pork ribs, they're nice, but it's mostly bone. Beef ribs coming out on a plate? It's just this
05:07giant hunk of meat that's big and juicy and fatty. It's a cool experience. The flavor,
05:12Hills said, is equally monumental, with perfectly caramelized edges on the meat,
05:17giving the ribs a hint of sweetness.
05:20Yes, if you're watching your cholesterol, a chicken breast is often the wiser choice
05:24than a big hunk of fatty steak. But if you're watching your cholesterol,
05:27why'd you just drop $75 on an all-you-can-eat steak dinner?
05:31Opting for the healthier option went out the window the minute you booked a table at a
05:35Brazilian steakhouse, and though the chicken may well be tasty and finely prepared,
05:39Man Tripping's James Hills says it's kind of a waste. He revealed to MASHed,
05:43I'm reluctant to say in general because everyone is a little different,
05:47but if you look at the selections that are out, some are not as prime as others,
05:50so I never get chicken. Chicken is not what I'm going to spend my appetite budget on.
05:56If there's one universal piece of advice about eating at a Brazilian steakhouse,
06:00it's not to fill up at the salad bar. In Zagat's video guide explaining everything
06:05people do wrong at a Brazilian steakhouse, before even discussing the steak,
06:09churrascaria plataforma meat carver Sandro Lorenzi tells everyone not to do it at the buffet.
06:14He said of his New York restaurant,
06:16A common mistake people make here is going crazy at the salad bar.
06:20They don't save room for the meat.
06:22James Hills agreed when talking to MASHed, with a caveat that vegetarians,
06:26or those not looking to gorge, can save some money by dining solely at what Brazilian
06:30steakhouses refer to as the market or harvest table. But if you're spending $60 a person to
06:36enjoy steak, don't get your fill at the salad bar. Hills advised,
06:39Have a little of that stuff — olives or charcuterie — to cut the fat from the steaks,
06:44but don't fill up on salad if you're there for a steak.
06:47Though beef tends to be the star attraction at a Brazilian steakhouse,
06:51it's far from the only thing on the menu. And in addition to stuffing yourself with
06:55enough beef to feed an entire preschool class, part of the idea in-going is also
07:00to try some stuff that's unique to Brazilian cuisine. In its guide to eating at Brazilian
07:04steakhouses, Fly & Dine suggests branching out from the stuff you know and delving into
07:08some other specialties. Among these is the traditional Brazilian pork loin known as lombo.
07:14Fly & Dine describes it as a Parmesan-crusted cut, promising,
07:17You'll be rewarded for your adventure.
07:19Grill Hall, a churrascaria in Maple Grove, Minnesota, delves a little deeper into lombo,
07:25saying,
07:25It's a traditional, slow-roasted style of pork that is usually seasoned sparingly with salt,
07:30garlic, and some other herbs. It's not exclusively served with a Parmesan crust.
07:35Sometimes it's covered with other cheeses, or sometimes none at all, but Parmesan is the most
07:39common. If you manage to heed our earlier advice and don't immediately spoil your appetite at the
07:45salad bar, you may be tempted to pile your plate with the first meats that show up at your table.
07:49But while satisfying, this may not be the best idea. In its guide to eating at Brazilian
07:54steakhouses, Groupon stresses some patience after you flip your card to green. Steakhouses,
07:59the online coupon site says, often save the more expensive and tastier cuts of meat for last.
08:04So the juicy picanha and prime rib won't show up until after the flank steak and chicken.
08:08If you can hold off a little bit, you'll get the better stuff.
08:12The abundance of side dishes at a Brazilian steakhouse can make you feel conflicted.
08:16You're spending a lot of money to enjoy the beef, so using valuable stomach space on sides
08:20might seem like a waste. At the same time, you also want to try some classic Brazilian dishes
08:25that don't come on a stick. James Hills told Mashed that even if you're there for meat,
08:29it's worth trying a side or two. And if you've got to try one, he says it's farofa. He shared,
08:35Personally, I don't love it, but it's a fun way to explore another culture.
08:38Farofa, according to Rio & Learn, is a toasted yucca flour that's prepared all kinds of ways.
08:44It's typically served as a side with meat, rice, or beans, but you may see it served by itself,
08:49too. Additionally, another common preparation is feijoada, a stew made up of sausage,
08:54bacon, and vegetables. Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão offers it as part of its menu,
08:59and though feijoada will fill you up more, it's also quite the culinary adventure.
09:03While most Brazilian steakhouses will have a pretty solid wine list,
09:07Man Tripping suggests instead pairing your meat with something more unique to the cuisine.
09:11Its guide to Brazilian steakhouses points to the caipirinha, a traditional cocktail made of
09:16cachaça, sugar, and lime, as a refreshing, zesty drink that contrasts with the salty,
09:21greasy flavors of the steak perfectly. If you're not trying to include alcohol in your meal,
09:26you're not limited to tap water and fountain sodas, either. Man Tripping suggests trying
09:30guarana soda, a Brazilian specialty with a fruity flavor that uses the guarana fruit to
09:35keep you out of a meat-induced food coma. Another non-alcoholic option? Agua fresca.
09:40This is a simple mixture of blended fruit with water and sugar. It's definitely on the sweet
09:45side, but this category of beverage gives you lots of booze-free ways to complement your meal.
09:50In a traditional steakhouse, drowning your prime filet in steak sauce is a big-time no-no.
09:55It might even earn you a not-so-subtle sneer from your waiter if you try,
09:59and will definitely infuriate the chef.
10:01"...I'm extremely disappointed in you. This is a joke to you."
10:06But this is not the case at a Brazilian steakhouse, not because the meat is of inferior
10:10quality, but because, according to chef Gene Delgado, it's not very seasoned. He told Mashed,
10:15"...you don't see much seasoning, so it's kind of bland."
10:18This, however, is easily offset by the abundance of sauces most Brazilian
10:22steakhouses offer on the side. Typically, these will include yucca flour and a vinaigrette sauce
10:27called a molho a campanha that's a little like a pico de gallo, with red and green peppers
10:32instead of tomatoes. According to Insider, the acidic side is meant to cut the fat and
10:37complement the meat in the main course, and you're welcome to cover your meat in as little
10:41or as much of it as you want. Meat carver Sandro Lorenzi told Zagat,
10:45"...there is no wrong way to do the toppings. Just do as you like it."