Espetada

It has been referred to as "meat on a stick, the Madeira way." The word in question, Espetada, actually refers to the cooking method. The method basically involves skewing food on sticks and cooking it over charcoal. However, on the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, the Espetada rises to a completely different level.

Madeira consists of four groups of islands: Madeira, Porto Santo, Desertas and Salvagens. Only Madeira and Porto Santo are populated, Desertas and Salvagens are both set aside as nature reserves. Yet, it is Madeira that is the most popular, mostly due to its long history of wine making. (Or, if you watched the recent Star Wars series, Acolyte, the beautiful landscape, as scenes were filmed at Fanal Forest and the parishes of Canical and Ribeira de Janela.) While Madeira may have some very beautiful scenery, it is the wine that has in many ways defined the islands, and certainly defines its espetada.

The history of Madeira wine dates back to the 15th century (before that, Madeira was principally known for sugar, as well as all of the negative things that came with it at the time, like slavery and plantations). Madeira wine is a fortified wine, which means that - much like Port - it is fortified with neutral grape spirits. The wine tends toward the sweet side, and often is served with desserts. 

For espetada, it serves as the liquid for the marinade. The marinade itself is fairly simple: adding crushed bay leaves (or laurel leaves), black pepper and garlic. After the meat marinates for at least four hours, one would skewer it and whatever else you want to add -- such as tomatoes, bell peppers, or chorizo -- to long laurel skewers. Those skewers then get placed over hot coals, which would be traditionally produced using grape wood. I didn't have laurel skewers on hand, so traditional metal skewers are just fine, as is using a gas grill if that is all you have ready to go. 

One last thing about the Madeiran version of espetada: it is traditionally made with beef, along with bell pepper and tomatoes. However, beef could be substituted with chicken or pork, as well as seafood like shrimp or squid. (Obviously, cooking times will then vary.) 

ESPETADA

Recipe from Curious Cuisiniere

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cubed into 2 inch chunks
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Madeira wine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Roma tomatoes, halved
• 2 green peppers, halved and seeded
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Marinate the meat. In a small bowl, mix together minced garlic, crushed bay leaves, and black pepper.  Rub the beef chunks with the mixture and place them in a flat baking dish or ziploc bag.  In another small bow, mix together the Madeira wine and olive oil. Pour the wine mixture over the beef cubes, making sure that they are well coated.  Refrigerate the beef for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

2. Prepare the skewers. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Place the beef chunks on soaked, sturdy wooden skewers (or metal skewers) interspersed with tomato and green pepper halves. Sprinkle the beef and vegetables with salt. 

3. Grill the skewers. Grill the meat for 3-5 minutes. Flip the skewers and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the beef is just starting to become firm.  Remove the skewers from the grill to a platter. Cover the skewers with aluminum foil and let them stand for 10 minutes before serving.

4. Finish the dish. Serve the skewers on a bed of crusty bread, drizzled with any juices that pooled in the platter as they rested. 

PEACE.