Vinagrete is the Brazilian table salsa served with churrasco: tomato, onion, pepper, oil, vinegar, and salt. It is a tomato-onion-pepper relish for the plate — not a light French vinaigrette mopped over the meat.
At a glance
- Region: Across Brazil
- Yield: about 2 cups (480 ml)
- Time: 10 minutes to cut, then chill 30 minutes. Make ahead.
Ingredients (about 2 cups)
- 3 firm tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vinegar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil (neutral oil or olive)
- 1 teaspoon (1 colher de chá) salt, then taste
- A handful of cheiro-verde (parsley and green onion), chopped
Method
- Finely dice tomato, onion, and green bell pepper in roughly equal amounts.
- Dress with the vinegar and oil from the list. After mixing and a short chill, taste; if it is too sharp, add more oil a tablespoon at a time.
- Add the cheiro-verde and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (1 colher de chá), stir, taste, and chill 30 minutes before serving.
How you know it is done
The tomato and onion have given a little juice into the dressing after about 30 minutes in the fridge. Taste for salt. It should be bright and acidic enough to cut fat, not oily or watery.
On the table
Vinagrete sits in a bowl on the table. Spoon it onto the plate next to the meat — more like a relish than a barbecue mop. Toasted cassava flour (farofa) is the other usual side. That cook is separate: farofa.
Next cooks
- Toasted cassava flour (farofa)
- How to grill picanha on a kettle grill
- Garlic bread on the grill (pão de alho)
- Vegetables at a Brazilian churrasco
Region: Across Brazil.
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