espetada — Portugal

Espetada is meat, most often beef, cut into cubes and threaded onto a skewer for grilling over an open flame; the word also describes the technique itself. Squid or monkfish are used in some coastal versions, and pork, turkey or chicken sometimes stand in for beef. It is reported across Portugal, with a well-known form from Madeira, where beef is threaded onto skewers cut from bay laurel wood, a practice associated with the Câmara de Lobos area on the island's coast. It is cooked at gatherings and in restaurants alike, often prepared table-side. Cubes of meat are seasoned with salt, garlic, pepper and bay leaf, sometimes left to rest with the seasoning for a few hours, then threaded onto the skewer with pieces of bell pepper, onion and chouriço tucked between them. The skewer is grilled over hot coals or wood embers, turned regularly, until the meat is browned outside and still juicy within. The dish is commonly served with bolo do caco, a flat, griddled bread, or with milho frito, fried squares of firm cornmeal that are used to soak up the juices dripping from the meat, alongside rice, potatoes or a simple salad. In restaurants the skewer is sometimes brought to the table hanging from a small stand, a presentation particular to this dish.