Pollo a la brasa, a traditional Peruvian dish, is considered one of the favorites of Peruvian popular cuisine by both adults and children. redbus.pe brings you this small article with all the information you must know about this dish. Enjoy!
Pollo a la Brasa
Who has not surrendered to the delicious taste of pollo a la brasa? This traditional dish has become one of our iconic dishes, representative of Peruvian gastronomy. Nowhere else but in Peru you can enjoy such flavor, always accompanied by crispy fries and tasty creams.
Every Peruvian has celebrated at some point with pollo a la brasa. We usually order it by delivery or by attending the nearest poultry store, known in Peru as pollerías. The chicken fervor is so great that even the third Sunday of July is celebrated as the Day of Pollo a la Brasa, a date that brings joy to many for various reasons: the discounts in the poultry stores, the opportunity to enjoy this dish with loved ones, the profits that the sales of chicken will promote, etcetera.
We Peruvians are so fortunate that this popular dish is no stranger to anyone. There are pollerías everywhere, in all the districts of Lima. They offer chicken with potatoes, with sweet potato, with salad, with soda, and at a variety of prices. Even for those who eat less, they sell the chicken not only in quarters but even in eight pieces.
Where does pollo a la brasa come from?
The origins of this typical dish go back to the 50s and the pioneer idea of Roger Schuler, owner of the first poultry in Lima, La Granja Azul, who commissioned Franz Ulrico –a friend of his, expert in mechanical metal– to build a rotombo: a special oven with several rotating bars that will allow him to bake several chickens evenly.
Schuler, previously, had seen his chef bake baby chickens in the same way, but by units and on a smaller scale. Over time, a proliferation of poultry stores began to take place. La Granja Azul was followed by El Rancho in Miraflores (1957) and Caravana in Pueblo Libre (1966), just to mention some of the most emblematic poultry shops in the capital.
With the passage of time, the rotombo was improved by Heriberto Ruiz, from Hornos Ruiz Hermanos, who worked with Ulrico in his workshop in La Victoria and learned from him how to build the oven. This welder, native of Lambayeque, created the furnace as we know it now: with a door, chimney and with a pulley system. In addition, Ruiz has also created gas and ecological ovens (made of pure steel, the same that does not expel smoke and that reduces the cooking of chickens to only 40 minutes).
What is the best way to eat pollo a la brasa?
Accompanied by french fries, salad, rice or any of our favorite sauces, with or without cutlery, there is no more widespread caprice than sharing pollo a la brasa among family members and enjoying the Sunday stroll.
The classic side dishes are a mixed salad and crispy fries. However, today you can choose alternatives such as warm salads with cooked vegetables, sweet potato fried in canes, corn sautéed in butter and spices, mashed potatoes, vegetable grill, rice with corn, and everything a fancy palate can imagine.
Where can I taste this traditional dish?
Here are some good options for eating pollo a la brasa in Lima:
- Don Tito. Most Peruvians will assure you that this restaurant is one of the best places in Lima for eating pollo a la brasa. Don Tito’s chicken is as juicy as it is crispy. Its premises are located at Av. Aviación 3096 (San Borja) and in Av. Flora Tristán 434 (La Molina).
- La Panka. Part of the «top 10» of favorite restaurants to try this typical dish, La Panka is known because of its famous “Pollo Pellejo Galleta”, which stands out for its crispy texture. Their rich wavy fries are also extremely delicious. It is located at Av. Villarán 753 (Surquillo), Av. El Ejército 776 (Miraflores), Av. Javier Prado Este 643 (Magdalena), among other popular stations.
- Gran Parrillada Timbó. With a traditional preparation on a circular grill and a horizontal oven, customers highlight Timbó’s pollo a la brasa for its crispy flavor. It is located at Av. Simón Bolívar 944 (Pueblo Libre).
- La Granja Azul: Classic and original, this is an excellent option to taste delicious baby chicks. The restaurant is located at Carretera Central km 11.5, Santa Clara (Ate).
Do not waste any more time and order a pollo a la brasa with mayonnaise, chimichurri, chili and pepper cream and you will have secured a delicious lunch with hundred percent of national flavor. With a delicious chicha morada or lemonade freshly prepared, your palate will be left ecstatic.
Photo: Andina
