Pollo a la Brasa

[bangstick]

So my wife is the daughter of missionaries and her parents spent 34 years in Peru. My wife and one of her brothers were actually born there. Well, one of her favorite dishes from Peru is pollo a la brasa….marinated chicken cooked on a rotisserie over an open flame (for us gringos). She found a Peruvian food store that has an authentic marinade for pollo a la brasa so it has become a staple in our house.

Enough back story. Marinade chicken for 48 hours (trust me, it's worth the wait). I spatchcock the chicken to reduce cook time (1hr 15min to 1hr 30min). I set the Woodwind to 400 degrees and once at temp, I lay the chicken skin side down for 30 minutes. After that, flip the chicken over and continue to cook until breast IT reach 160 degrees. Dark and crispy skin (not burnt) and yet the meat is juicy with a delicate smoky flavor.

 

[petehalsted]

Looks great! Back in the 90's I spent a year in LA working on a project and one of my favorite places to eat was a Peruvian place.

They had a dish that was some type of flank or skirt steak, lightly breaded with breadcrumbs, and severed on a bed of "thick spaghetti noodles" with a green sauce (not a pesto sauce but similar idea). Would your wife happen to know what that dish is called or even better a recipe for it.

I was always impressed with the dishes at that place, they really know how to make great meals out of "lowly" cuts of meat. Sadly not a lot of Peruvian restaurants outside of So Cal.

 

[bangstick]

Looks great! Back in the 90's I spent a year in LA working on a project and one of my favorite places to eat was a Peruvian place.

They had a dish that was some type of flank or skirt steak, lightly breaded with breadcrumbs, and severed on a bed of "thick spaghetti noodles" with a green sauce (not a pesto sauce but similar idea). Would your wife happen to know what that dish is called or even better a recipe for it.

I was always impressed with the dishes at that place, they really know how to make great meals out of "lowly" cuts of meat. Sadly not a lot of Peruvian restaurants outside of So Cal.

Sounds like steak milanesa. Love me some milanesa! Granted, the spaghetti noodles is something I've never heard of. In Peru, they traditionally serve it with fat steak fries or ensalada rusa. I don't know if she has a recipe for that one. I'll check and see if she's been holding out on me.

 

[chilerelleno]

Looks absolutely fantastic, nice bird.
Great backstory with family too.

Love us some spatchcocked yardbird.

Like!

 

[KrisUpInSmoke]

bed of "thick spaghetti noodles" with a green sauce (not a pesto sauce but similar idea).

Maybe Tallarines Verde (Peruvian Green Spaghetti). There are recipes online. Maybe you could look up the location of the restaurant you liked and see if they have a menu online which would tell you the name, or even a different Peruvian restaurant. I know regular stores sell thicker cut spaghetti noodles.

 

[petehalsted]

Maybe Tallarines Verde (Peruvian Green Spaghetti). There are recipes online. Maybe you could look up the location of the restaurant you liked and see if they have a menu online which would tell you the name, or even a different Peruvian restaurant.

That sounds right! I had to LOL that you think this addled mind has a chance at remembering the location and/or name of a restaurant from the late 90's. Heck I am lucky to find my way back from the restroom these days LOL

they traditionally serve it with fat steak fries

Yep that reminded me of another dish we use to get there that had those great fries with it.

Guess you could say I am "food oriented" don't remember, people, places, faces, names. But remember something about every great meal I have ever had LOL

 

[TomKnollRFV]

That sounds right! I had to LOL that you think this addled mind has a chance at remembering the location and/or name of a restaurant from the late 90's. Heck I am lucky to find my way back from the restroom these days LOL


Yep that reminded me of another dish we use to get there that had those great fries with it.

Guess you could say I am "food oriented" don't remember, people, places, faces, names. But remember something about every great meal I have ever had LOL

You and me Both. I can forget the name of some place, but I'll remember the food and what made it special ;)

So my wife is the daughter of missionaries and her parents spent 34 years in Peru. My wife and one of her brothers were actually born there. Well, one of her favorite dishes from Peru is pollo a la brasa….marinated chicken cooked on a rotisserie over an open flame (for us gringos). She found a Peruvian food store that has an authentic marinade for pollo a la brasa so it has become a staple in our house.

Enough back story. Marinade chicken for 48 hours (trust me, it's worth the wait). I spatchcock the chicken to reduce cook time (1hr 15min to 1hr 30min). I set the Woodwind to 400 degrees and once at temp, I lay the chicken skin side down for 30 minutes. After that, flip the chicken over and continue to cook until breast IT reach 160 degrees. Dark and crispy skin (not burnt) and yet the meat is juicy with a delicate smoky flavor.

I don't suppose you can share the name of the marinade? I have some ethnic stores around me and would like to keep an eye open for it :) <Brand name that is>

 

[bangstick]

You and me Both. I can forget the name of some place, but I'll remember the food and what made it special ;)


I don't suppose you can share the name of the marinade? I have some ethnic stores around me and would like to keep an eye open for it :) <Brand name that is>

The fifth one from the top... http://www.labodegaperuana.com/aderezopolloalabrasa.htm

I've tried some of the others but my wife says this one has the most authentic flavor.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

The fifth one from the top... http://www.labodegaperuana.com/aderezopolloalabrasa.htm

Thanks :) We got a new store around me that carries stuff like this, or will be. It's where I found proper jerk seasoning and haven't tried to use it yet properly because it's supposed to be very much so authentic and very hot LOL.

 

[bangstick]

If you can't find it around, this place is easy to deal with and they ship/deliver incredibly fast.

 

[krj]

Looks amazing, and after finding a recipe I ordered the missing spice that I need and definitely will be trying this in a couple weeks.

 

[dls1]

Nice job on the Pollo a la Brasa, bangstick. One of my favorite ways to prepare chicken, and well deserving of a like.

I've traveled to Lima on business (and pleasure) for many years and learned early on that it's pretty much the national dish. I've also learned that, aside of a few key ingredients, the recipes can vary greatly, ranging from simple to complex depending upon the cook/chef and the region of the country.

It looks like you used a prepared marinade, which I'm not familiar with. I make my own marinade, as well as a finishing sauce to serve with the chicken from what I've researched and learned over the years. The key ingredients are aji huacatay paste, aji panca paste, and aji amarillo paste. Those can be found in specialty shops or, of course, Amazon. Beyond that, the ingredients are pretty common and readily available.

Thanks for jogging my memory. I usually make the dish at least once a month and now I know what I'll be making this coming weekend.

 

[bangstick]

You're definitely right on the subtle differences in a recipe depending on region. My wife was born in/grew up in Trujillo and she said the ceviche (national dish of Peru) and pollo a la brasa are different from what she's had in Lima. Of course, she's bias to her hometown of Trujillo. Lol!

 

[dls1]

You're definitely right on the subtle differences in a recipe depending on region. My wife was born in/grew up in Trujillo and she said the ceviche (national dish of Peru) and pollo a la brasa are different from what she's had in Lima. Of course, she's bias to her hometown of Trujillo. Lol!

Most of my time in Peru has been in or around Lima, and though I know of Trujillo, I've never been there. That said, I'm sure your wife could find Trujillo-style Pollo a la Brasa in Lima if she knew where to go. Peru, like many countries , especially those in Latin America, often have one major city that is home to 20%-30% of the countries population. That's mainly a result of people migrating to that city from outlying or rural areas in search of a better life for their families in as far employment, health care, education, etc. are concerned. The population of Peru is around 30M, and in Lima, it's 10M, so the pattern holds pretty solid. In Lima it seems that there's at least one polleria, or chicken shop, on every block so I'm sure that there are some operated by migrants from the Trujillo area who brought their culinary traditions with them.

Again, thanks for the inspiration. I put together my marinade for the dish earlier and the chicken in resting in it in preparation for dinner tomorrow.