Meat, meat, meat – Porcão Churrascaria and recipe for oven baked anchovy

This weekend we finally made it to THE churrascaria institution in Rio – Porcão – first opened in 1975. The name means large pig – I suppose for pigging into large amounts of meat even though mainly beef and lamb. The system is easy; you pay a lumpsum and help yourself with a wide variety of salads, sushis and sashimis, other seafoods and antipasti. The meats are served at the table and cut from large spits directly onto your plate.

The trick is to wait for the best cuts, not filing yourself up with to many delicious treats from the buffet and not indulging into the staples they bring to the table in order to save on meat. Who wants farofa (manioc flour), plain white rice or fries if you can have picanha, filet and leg of lamb?

You receive a sign with a red and a green side, informing the waiters whether you are ready for more meat or need to have a break:

As it was market day again yesterday, I asked my favorite fish monger – an above 80 very friendly guy always explaining me the different fishes and seafood – about the fish he likes best. He recommended the Anchovy. I had thought they come in smaller sizes but got hold of this nearly 2 kg fish for dinner:

Recipe for oven baked anchovy for 6

• 2kg anchovy, cleaned by the nice fishmonger with diagonal cuts into the skin
• 4 limes or lemons sliced
• mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, coriander, dill, oregano chopped
• bunch of spring onions chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic sliced inserted into the skin cuts
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1kg of boiled potatoes with skin, cut into half

Place the fish onto some slices of lemon in an ovenproof dish. Stuff the fish with the herbs, some slices of lemon and spring onions, drizzle it with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes around the fish and drizzle with some olive oil as well. Bake in 200C oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with green beans or ratatouille.