Pineapple goes on the churrasco fire after the beef. In Brazil this is abacaxi com canela: ripe fruit, cinnamon, and sugar, served hot off the coals. It is a real item on a Brazilian mixed grill, often the last thing on the fire.
Shop links on this page: I may earn a commission. Same price for you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ripe fruit only
Use a ripe pineapple. Pérola is the sweeter Brazilian type. In a US store a ripe gold or extra-sweet pineapple is the stand-in. Underripe fruit stays sour and does not caramelize well. Smell the base; it should smell like pineapple, not like grass.
Peel, eyes, and the core
Peel the fruit completely and cut out the eyes. On the whole-skewer version leave the core. It holds the pineapple on the blade. On slices, core them or leave a small center. Either is fine.
Cinnamon and sugar
Cinnamon plus sugar is the Brazilian mix. Mix them dry, then dust the fruit.
- 1 ripe pineapple
- 6 tablespoons sugar (6 colheres de sopa)
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon (2 colheres de sopa)
Some cooks use 1 cup sugar (1 xícara de chá) with 2 tablespoons cinnamon. That is a heavier, sweeter coat. The usual mix here is the 6-tablespoon white-sugar mix. For a thinner dusting: 2 tablespoons cinnamon and, optional, 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
When it goes on the fire
Put the pineapple on when the beef is resting or already sliced. Pineapple is the closer. It does not hold well. Serve it hot. Cook it on a mild ember bed, or on the cool side of a two-zone kettle grill, about 25–35 cm (10–14 in) from the embers. Sugar burns over a fresh screaming pile.
Two honest methods
There are two correct ways to cook this at home. Use whichever matches the fire already going.
A. Whole fruit on a long skewer
One peeled pineapple on a long flat churrasco skewer. Dust it with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Hold it over a mild fire and turn it. When the outer layer is caramelized, slice that layer off, dust the new face, and return the fruit to the fire. Repeat. A strong fire browns the outside and leaves the inside raw.
A whole peeled pineapple on a skewer takes about 15 minutes while turning. Slice flakes as it cooks, dusting again each time. Whole fruit takes longer than slices. Turn often. The core stays in so the fruit does not spin off the blade.
B. Slices on a kettle grill
If a whole fruit is too much to hang, cut 1 to 2 cm slices or half-moons. Dust with cinnamon and sugar. Set them on the cool side of a two-zone fire, not over the coals. About 2 to 3 minutes per side, until they are lightly caramelized and take grill marks.
What does not go on this fruit
A drizzle of honey after the fruit comes off is optional at the table, not a glaze on the fire. A flambé with Brazilian sugarcane spirit (cachaça), from a liquor store, exists in restaurants. It is not required at home.
Shared grate
Pineapple on a shared grate after raw chicken is a cross-contamination problem. Put the fruit on after the meat is off, or use a clean zone of the grate.
What to buy
Cinnamon and sugar are grocery. The one tool is a long flat skewer so a whole fruit can turn over the fire. The usual mid is the length to get first.
- Low: Flat stainless supermarket skewers — flat so the meat does not spin; skip the thin round kebab sticks.
- Usual mid: JOWHONK 27 in flat skewers, about 24 to 36 inches — the length that keeps a hand off the coals.
- High: A simple espeto set from a Brazilian shop — plain blades, no sword gimmick.
Next cooks
Region: Across Brazil.
Leave a Reply