Anticuchos Grilled Beef Heart Food

ANTICUCHOS DE CORAZON, GRILLED HEART SKEWERS

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over the dried chiles and cover. Let this sit for 20 minutes to soften.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients together and buzz them into a puree in a food processor or blender. Submerge the heart pieces in the marinade for at least 1 hour, and up to a day.
• Thread the heart pieces on the skewers-this helps you flip them more easily and helps them cook more evenly. Grill over very high heat with the grill cover open until you get a nice char on the outside, about 3 minutes per side. Baste with the marinade as the skewers cook.

PERUVIAN ANTICUCHOS

Steps:

• Place the pieces of heart in a glass or ceramic tray.
• Previously, soak the chiles in hot water until they are soft, devein and take the seeds off. If you want you can keep some of the seeds to make it spicier. In Peru we use aji panca, but this works well too.
• Blend the vinegar, garlic, aji panca (or dried chile), and all other ingredients with 1/2 cup of the oil until you have a soft paste.
• Pour it on the pieces of heart and distribute evenly so all pieces are well covered and can absorb the marinade. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Do not let them marinade for too long or they will dry out because of the vinegar.
• In the meantime, place thick bamboo skewers to soak in water so they don't burn when they go on the grill.
• Use a charcoal grill and make sure the coals are very hot before you start.
• Stick three or four pieces of heart in each skewer, so that the meat lays flat.
• Save the rest of the marinade in a cup or small bowl and add the rest of the oil to it, mixing well. This will be used for basting the anticuchos on the grill.
• Tie some pieces of fresh corn husk with a string made out of some more husk and shred them half the way to make a kind of brush and use it for basting. (You can use dry husk too but you need to soak it for a while in warm water to make it flexible and then pat it dry before you use it).
• When the coals are ready and the grill is hot place the anticuchos flat on the grill and baste them generously with the leftover marinade and oil mix.
• This will drip and cause the coals to flame, make sure it flames over because this is what gives the anticuchos their distinctive flavor.
• Let anticuchos cook for about 1 minute and a half on each side. DO NOT OVERCOOK! They will dry out and become tough. Medium or medium well is fine. Turn them over continuously and keep basting and flaming until they are done.
• Hold two or three at a time to turn them over quickly.
• At the same time, place the pieces of corn and potatoes on a corner of the grill, baste them with the same marinade and allow them to be flamed too.
• Serve three skewers in each plate, accompanied by one piece of corn and one potato. You can also cut the potatoes in half (across not length wise) and stick a piece at the end of each skewer.
• Serve hot, right out of the grill, don't let it get cold! ENJOY! :P.
• What takes the longest time is to slice and cut the heart in squares and stick the pieces on the skewers; as you get practice doing this it will be faster, allow yourself some more time of preparation the first couple of times.
• You can also use regular beef, chicken, fish, prawns, or lamb to make anticuchos, but the original and traditional recipe calls for cow heart. Hope you like it! :).

ANTICUCHOS DE POLLO, GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Steps:

• Mash the garlic with a rock, or with a mortar and pestle. Add a little water if necessary to make a paste.
• Make the marinade: in a bowl, mix the crushed garlic, 1/4 cup of the vinegar, 1/4 cup chile pepper paste, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper.
• .Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch by 2 inch cubes. Place chicken pieces in bowl with the marinade and stir well. Marinate chicken at least one hour, or overnight in the refrigerator for best flavor.
• Peel the onion and cut into 1 inch wedges.Remove the seeds and the white part of the bell pepper, and cut into 1 inch chunks.
• Place the chicken and vegetable pieces on the wooden skewers, alternating the chicken with the vegetables.
• Make a basting mixture of 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, and a pinch of cumin.
• Prepare the grill, and grill chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Baste chicken several times during cooking.
• Cut a piece of the chicken to check for doneness. If the chicken is still pink on the inside, place it back on the grill, checking frequently. Do not overcook.
• 9.Remove the chicken from the grill. Serve with rice and corn on the cob.