They really take their bbq parties seriously here....

July 23
Went to a bbq at WE's house. It was a mix of a summer celebration & a birthday party. For a grillmaster we had a brazilian who really knew his meats. At first pass was a whole selection of bratwurst, so good with a variation of cold salads. Then out came the beef! Over the next 5 hours gustavo put on the grill one piece of steak at a time. When a piece is done he would cut it in small slices and the group standing around the charcoal grill would take a piece with their fork. By the end of the night a smaller group of us were taking tequila shots and eating the meat with our fingers. So I have seen one extreme where my german friends are eating a hamburger with a knife and fork and now I'm seeing them eat steak with their fingers, off a cutting board. I think they do let their guards down when in a more relaxed and social environment.

By midnight it was a few of us sitting around the outside patio table. I watched in horror at the way they sop up the blood from the steak with bread. Gustavo would take a steak off the grill (by now he has moved the grill to our table so he can sit with us), cut up into slices and pass it around the table. When the empty cutting board gets back to him he would then ask each one of us "blood?" If someone says yes then he would take a piece of bread and soak it with the juice from the steak which is mostly the blood. It was a funny ritual to watch.

They really are against paperware here. Only real glasses, silverware & plates no matter how big the group. I felt bad seeing the mountain of dishes WE's wife had to do, luckily she did have a dishwasher.

Some of the group had planned to go to the carnival afterwards but I had gotten a little cold and the weather was kind of crappy so didn't want to risk getting worse. What was up with the summer weather?! It's been cold and rainy here and boy did I pack wrong! Thank goodness I thought to bring a light jacket, I've worned it everyday!

Gustavo's recipe for steak: coat either sides with coarse sea salt, or marinate in herbal butter.......have to try it when I get home.