Anticuchos (Peruvian Beef Skewers) with Salsa Criolla

Name: Anticuchos (Peruvian Beef Skewers) with Salsa Criolla
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 700 g beef heart; 2 tbsp ají panca paste; 3 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 3 clove garlic; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 8 piece wooden skewers; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 piece medium yellow potatoes; 1 ear choclo (Peruvian corn) or sweet corn; 1 piece small red onion; 2 tbsp fresh lime juice; 1 tbsp cilantro; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper

Charred, tangy skewers of marinated beef — a classic Peruvian street-food snack. Serve with simple salsa criolla, boiled potatoes and corn for an authentic small-plate experience.

1 hr 5 min

start to finish

25 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

700 g beef hearttrimmed of membrane and white gristle, cut into 1-inch cubes; substitute 700 g skirt or flank steak if you can't find heart
¼ tsp black pepper

For the marinade

2 tbsp ají panca pasteavailable at Latin markets; substitute (2 tbsp mild chili paste + 1 tbsp smoked paprika) if unavailable
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauceuse tamari for gluten-free; recipe as written contains soy and gluten
3 clove garlicminced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp vegetable oilor neutral oil
1 tbsp brown sugaroptional — rounds acidity

For the skewers & grilling

8 piece wooden skewers6–8 mm flat skewers, soaked in water
1 tbsp vegetable oilfor brushing the grill or pan

To serve

2 piece medium yellow potatoespeeled or unpeeled, for boiling
1 ear choclo (Peruvian corn) or sweet cornor 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels as substitute

For the salsa criolla

1 piece small red onionvery thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp cilantrofinely chopped
½ tsp saltplus more to taste

Contains soy, gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

480 kcal34g protein38g carbs20g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Trim visible connective tissue and white membrane from the beef heart and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Put the cubed beef in a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk together aji panca paste, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, vegetable oil, brown sugar and black pepper in a small bowl to make the marinade.
Pour the marinade over the beef cubes and toss until every piece is coated.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the beef to marinate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
While the meat marinates, submerge the wooden skewers in cold water and soak for 30 minutes.
Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, and simmer until a knife slips in easily (about 20 minutes).
Add the corn ear to another pot of boiling water and simmer 10 minutes until tender (or heat 1/2 cup cooked corn for 2–3 minutes).
Drain the potatoes and corn and keep warm while you prepare the grill.
Thread the marinated beef onto the soaked skewers, leaving a little space between pieces so heat circulates (about 4–5 pieces per 10–12 inch skewer).
Preheat a gas grill, charcoal grill or heavy cast-iron pan to high heat and brush the grates or pan lightly with vegetable oil.
Grill the skewers 3–4 minutes per side, turning to get even char and an internal doneness of medium (about 10–12 minutes total), brush with any leftover marinade once during grilling and watch for flare-ups.
Remove the skewers from the grill and let the meat rest 5 minutes.
While the meat rests, thinly slice the red onion, toss it with lime juice, chopped cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt to make the salsa criolla, and let it sit 5 minutes to soften.
Cut the boiled potatoes into halves or thick slices and cut the corn off the cob if using kernels.
Arrange 2 skewers per plate (or 3 for larger appetites) with boiled potatoes, a portion of corn and a spoonful of salsa criolla; serve hot.

Worth knowing

If you can't find beef heart, skirt or flank steak make a good substitute; traditional anticuchos use heart for its flavor and texture.
Aji panca paste gives the classic smoky-red color; if using a substitute, add smoked paprika for that rounded smokiness.
To avoid gluten, swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos (note coconut aminos still contains soy-free flavor but differs in saltiness).
Do not overcook beef heart — it becomes tough; aim for medium to medium-rare depending on your cut.
Make the skewers a day ahead and refrigerate on a tray; grill straight from the fridge for an easy party service.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

One panMeal prep

More Peruvian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Peruvian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe.