As all three of my regular readers may know, the Dinnerman and I frequent a fantastic rodizio restaurant called Casa Brasil, just over the bridge in East Providence.
Owned by Joe and Rose Barros, the family-run Casa Brasil has been open since 2002, and a regular haunt of ours since 2004. They feature a plentiful hot and cold buffet (for sale by the pound to go if you want) and if you desire, the full-blown 'churrascaria' thing - that Brazilian display of pageantry where meats are carved onto your plate at your table until you flip your 2-sided spool from green to red.
The usual procession includes bacon-wrapped chicken, turkey, and sirloin; chicken wings; smoky kielbasa; pork loin; pork ribs; beef short ribs; big pieces of sirloin; something called 'flap meat'; garlic-rubbed tri-tip; and if you get lucky, rarities such as chicken hearts and home-made Brazilian sausage. But the star of the show, at least in the Dinnerman's mouth, are the big hunks of the Brazilian cut known as 'Picanha', which is not a common cut of beef in this country.
According to Wikipedia, Picanha is also known as 'rump cover' steak, and is considered quite a delicacy in South American countries, especially Brasil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rump_cover
We go through phases with Casa Brasil - we can go for months without a single visit, but then we'll venture out for an early dinner one Sunday and we are hooked. Like true addicts, we then return each week. We dream about the meats, we can't take our minds off of them!
And the buffet! It offers the perfect sides to all that animal protein: the delicious and authentic feijoada; the tutu beans; the rice; the Brazilian salad of tomato, green pepper, and onion over which we have been instructed to sprinkle farofa (toasted manioc flour with crumbled bacon) - these are the perfect accompaniments to this hedonistic feast.
Joe is the front man - the jovial native of Rio de Janeiro who happily greets and informs his hungry customers. He has been known to bring us a dish of this or that, telling us how he made it, where he got the ingredients, how it should be eaten. Rose, his lovely and beautiful wife, is just as present and integral but not as overtly so. She creates many of the dishes on the buffet, and keeps everything running so smoothly. Their daughter Amy waits tables and is sweet as can be. And interestingly, their son Jason works at the same hospital as the Dinnerman, who sees him often. This is a solid family who pour themselves, heart and soul, into all they do. They are in the perfect location too, as East Providence has such a large population of Portuguese. At Casa Brasil, you hear more Portuguese than English.
Back to my point - not that I ever have a single one!
This past Sunday, per our prior request, Joe brought out 3 beautiful slabs of Picanha for us to take home and cook - complete with instructions and baggies full of just the right amount of salt and flour to execute the operation to perfection.
It could not have been more simple - one hour before roasting, I rubbed the gorgeous meat with salt from baggie number 1. Then, right before shoving into a 350 oven, I tossed the meat in flour. So simple - 45 minutes later, we had dinner.
Granted, my beans and rice don't compare to Rose's feijoada, and I don't think I've ever seen brussel sprouts at Casa Brasil. But the man and I were so damn happy with that Picanha!
Thanks, Joe! And happy birthday to Rose (yesterday, December 18th, was her 50th, but she looks younger than my 35 years). I hope Joe was able to fulfill his desire of getting her drunk. He makes the best Caipirinhas, so I don't know how he could have failed...
Go to Casa Brasil. If you appreciate meat and family, you'll love it. And seriously, the Caipirinhas can't be beat. They have the perfect balance of sour to sweet. I abhor drinks that play to the idea that the American palate sways toward the overly sweet. These are not that way. They are great.
We'll see you there on Sunday.
Casa Brasil
545 North Broadway
East Providence, RI 02914
(401) 434-8500
My Casa Brasil pics on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21569696@N07/sets/72157606892082954/
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