How to Get FAT This Tuesday
This Tuesday, precisely 47 days before Easter, people all over the world will celebrate in the centuries-old tradition of getting Fat. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, or Carnival depending on where you are in the world, is the end of many days of hedonistic indulgence before the Catholic tradition of Lent leading up to Easter.
Lent is a time of abstinence in the Catholic faith when followers of the religion give up certain foods or vices, often abstaining from meat in particular, in preparation for Easter. If Lent is about deprivation, especially from food, then Fat Tuesday is all about eating as much as you can, as richly as you can, because you know you won’t be doing so again for a good long while to come.
The tradition of partying in the days leading up to Lent can be traced back to the 13th century. This was the beginning of the masked celebrations of Carnival in Italy. As the Western world and its religions spread, so did the party-change to reflect the cultures of the new worlds.
In North America the best known version of Fat Tuesday is the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, which is marked by a parade, bead throwing, and general debauchery. But in addition to Venice and New Orleans, the third city in the Big Three of Fat Tuesday celebrations takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Samba dancers, floats, and parade are a mix of the Venice original and elements of South American Indian and African culture.
For the average person wanting a piece of the Fat Tuesday party, the day is just what the name implies, a chance to get fat. Thus when planning a Mardi Gras menu, the food should be as indulgent as possible. A Venetian meal might be no more than a variety of cicheti, sort of an Italian version of tapas, featuring everything from fried olives to hard boiled eggs with anchovies to grilled sardines. Of course, each is served with an ombre, a small glass of local wine. An indulgent New Orleans-style Mardi Gras dinner might encompass fried oyster Po' Boys, Creole Jambalaya, or a crawfish Etouffee.
To begin a 47-day abstinence, especially from meat, none of these regional cuisines does the trick better than the churrascuria style of eating from Brazil. Churrascurias are Brazilian steakhouses whose simple job is to serve meat cooked in the churrasco style, which is simply grilled over coals or wood depending on the part of Brazil one is in. The meat is then served rodizio fashion, which means the waiter brings a variety of beef, chicken, or sausages to the table, which is then sliced table side and served. In the United States a few upscale Brazilian steakhouses have emerged where your desire for food is marked by a red or green cue to the waiter: green sign means keep bringing the meat to the table, red and you are ready for a break.
An at-home churrascuria to celebrate Fat Tuesday requires little more than some good meat, a decent grill (or grill pan if weather does not permit grilling in your part of the world at this time of year), and a couple of sides to round it all out. Sausages or chicken work just fine, but since this day is all about hedonism, steak is almost a requirement.
For sides, making long grain white rice into a pilaf is a good way to spice up an otherwise plain accompaniment. And the dinner might not be indulgent enough without the addition of something a little fried, so in the great South American tradition, fry some plantain chips and call it your fruit course.
No matter your religion, or where you are in the world, Fat Tuesday is a great excuse to throw all those diet rules out the window for one 24 hour period and just indulge. Come Wednesday, it is back on the wagon for over a month of restriction so for now, grab that steak knife, pour yourself an ombre, and give the waiter the green light.
Serves/Makes: 4
- vegetable oil
- 2 unripe (green) plantains
- salt
In a heavy pot, preheat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium high heat.
Using a sharp knife, peel plantains. If you have a mandolin available, slice plantains on a long diagonal 1/8th-inch thick. Otherwise use a very sharp, thin knife to the same affect.
Working in batches, fry about 1/4 of the plantain slices at a time. Fry for about 2 minutes until golden, turning with a slotted spoon if necessary.
Transfer from oil with a slotted spoon to paper towels and salt immediately. Repeat with remaining plantains.
Made with salt and pepper, water, ground coriander, vegetable oil, onion, white rice, ground cumin
Serves/Makes: 4
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 cups water
- salt and pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.
Add the rice to the saucepan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until the rice starts to lightly brown.
Add the cumin and coriander and mix well. Let cook for 1 minute. Add the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and let cook for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.
Made with salt, limes, flank steak, cilantro, black peppercorns, garlic, vegetable oil
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 bunch cilantro, washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 pound flank steak
- 2 limes
- salt
In a blender puree cilantro including stems, peppercorns, garlic and vegetable oil until smooth and peppercorns are no longer whole. Reserve half of the cilantro mixture. Place steak in a shallow pan and cover with other half of the mixture. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Meanwhile preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Juice limes and mix in with reserved cilantro marinade along with a couple pinches of salt. Adjust seasoning if necessary. After 15 minutes season steak on both sides with salt. Transfer steak to hot grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side for medium to medium-rare.
Transfer to a platter and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved cilantro sauce.
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