Churrasco al jugo (sirloin in its juice) sounds wonderful. Better is to feel the sensations of your palate as you eat a good dish of it. In Cusco people get seduced with its good flavor. Beef in the pot together with onion in sauce bubbling lightly is a temptation. If you add its companions, beans or mashed potatoes and a bit of rice you have a delight.
In our markets, San Pedro, Ttio, Huancaro, or Rosas Pata, you can find churrasco al jugo seven days of the week in the prepared food section. There you can try the different tastes the market cooks bring to this dish.
During the different days of the week it is also present in our picanterías and restaurants. It is very popular and easy to prepare at home where it is commonly made.
In the market I had a good churrasco al jugo. As a first course they brought me a bowl of concentrated beef broth. It was wonderful, but I was awaiting with anticipation to taste the main course, the churrasco al jugo. From the stand, the aromas of cooking beef filled the air and enticed. I could not wait for my dish.
The casera (vendor) asked me, “what would you like me to give you as an accompaniment? Do you want mashed potatoes, beans, or just rice and French fried potatoes?”
When I heard “mashed potatoes” memory transported me to my parents’ home. Whenever my mother would make a beef churrasco she would always serve it with mashed potatoes and salad. I love my mother’s churrasco al jugo.
She lets the meat marinate during the night in beer. In the morning she seasons the meat with a bit of salt and garlic. Then she cooks it up in a fry pan until it is medium well done.The juice from the churrasco in combination with mashed potatoes and rice is exquisite. The flavor and texture of the meat along with the sautéed onions makes me want to always have seconds. Cooking is wonderful because it fills us with memories and flavors.
Once my dish had arrived while I was sitting on a bench in the marketplace, you could see on first glance that it was well made. It had mashed potatoes and rice as a base to which the casera added French fries. On top of this she placed the churrasco and bathed it all with the juices. She touched off the dish with a salad of sliced tomatoes and onions.
From the first taste the beef and onion juices penetrated everything and it was amazing. The meat was perfectly cooked and the flavors heavenly. After I had finished my meal the cacera gave me a glass of apple-water. I was satisfied and after offering her thanks, I left.
Churrasco al jugo can be prepared in many parts of the world following different recipes from international cuisine. It is a very popular dish and is commonly found in many Latin American countries, such as Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Brasil, and Peru. It is always an agreeable experience to eat a churrasco al jugo in Cusco.
