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Carne de sol is the lightly salted, air-dried beef of Brazil's Northeast, seared and drenched in manteiga de garrafa, a golden clarified butter. It is served with sweet sautéed onions and squeaky grilled queijo coalho cheese. This home version cures the beef in the refrigerator overnight, so you get the same firm, seasoned bite.
Per serving: 626 calories · 4.5 g net carbs · 64 g protein · 38 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef top round or sirloin in one thick piece
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt for curing
- 4 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter divided
- 1 large onion sliced into rings
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 8 ounces queijo coalho or halloumi cut into thick sticks
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- One day ahead: cut the beef into 1-inch-thick slabs. Rub the coarse salt all over, place on a rack set over a tray, and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours. The surface will dry and darken slightly.
- Rinse the beef briefly, pat it very dry and cut into 1-inch cubes or thick strips.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. Move to a bowl.
- Add 1 more tablespoon of ghee and raise the heat to high. Sear the beef in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until well browned outside and pink inside. Move to a platter.
- Wipe the pan, add a thin film of ghee and brown the cheese sticks over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden.
- Pile the onions over the beef, add the cheese, drizzle with the remaining warm ghee and scatter with cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
About This Dish
Carne de sol means sun meat, although it is traditionally dried in a shaded, well-ventilated spot rather than in direct sun. It is lightly salted and only partly dried, which makes it different from carne seca or charque, which are much saltier and drier. The technique let ranchers in the hot, dry sertão keep beef for days without refrigeration. Manteiga de garrafa, bottle butter, is clarified butter that stays liquid in the northeastern heat and is sold in glass bottles. Restaurants in cities such as Natal, Recife and Fortaleza are famous for their carne de sol platters.
Pairs Well With
- Brazilian Salada de Maionese, Creamy Vegetable and Egg Salad
- Brazilian Tabule, Brazilian-Lebanese Parsley and Cauliflower Salad
This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 4: Churrasco & Beef (Ruins of São Miguel das Missões). See all Brazilian recipes