Celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio says that good cooking is more about generosity than perfection, that to be a good cook, it is enough to have something to cook, people with little desire to eat and the desire to see a smile on their faces. And if there is a moment that unites these three elements, highlighting generosity, is the barbecue.
Surely you have enjoyed a barbecue on more than one occasion, like a diner or host, but perhaps never a Panamanian-style barbecue. So prepare your marinades, tongs, spatulas, and knives, and get ready to understand a little more about how to “Panamize” the barbecue that you already master by introducing some modifications in the preparation of proteins, complements, and the drinks.
Panamanian barbecue has been influenced in many aspects by the classic American barbecue, the most common cuts being loins, sirloins, briskets and ribs. The best options can be found at Pretelt Meats, Meat House, or La Factoría. To give it an indigenous twist you can add chorizo tableño, tasajo, lechona and stewed sausages.
Chorizo tableño is originally from the province of Los Santos, specifically from its capital, Las Tablas, and differs from other sausages due to its high content of achiote (which gives it its particular color) and its sun-drying process. For its part, the tasajo is a cut of beef that has been smoked and roasted over firewood that has a flavor very similar to that of a sausage.
Lechona is a special preparation of pork leg marinated in garlic paste, cilantro, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Baturro cooking sauce, along with achiote and vinegar. The leg is then cooked in a pot for an hour and a half, to be fried or baked later. The stewed sausages is a classic Panamanian breakfast dish but due to its versatility it is included in lunches and dinners, which is prepared by frying tomatoes, onions, and peppers together with the sausages (the classic Panamanian flavor will be given by the Rimith sausages) and tomato paste.
As for the accessories, the ones you already know are also part of the Panamanian barbecue, such as corn on the cob and roasted potatoes. The Panamanian twist can be given by adding buns, and fried foods such as roasted tortillas, puff pastries, or carimañolas. You can also prepare a sancocho, a chicken broth with yams, cilantro, and, depending on the region, yucca, otoe, cob, and/or pumpkin.
Of course, in true Panamanian-style, a barbecue cannot miss beer, which is usually a lager, such as Balboa, Atlas, and Panamá, which has been awarded 9 medals from the Monde Selection Institute.
With this brief summary of the Panamanian nuances of barbecue, you already have the guide you need to give a twist to that quintessential family experience. Do you dare to try it?
