One thing that I discovered on my previous trip to Guatemala was probably something that won't be news to some people here but that impressed me enough to write the following while I was back in Guatemala this past weekend.
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Probably most of us on this forum like green onions but how many of us would eat a whole one - green and white - in one sitting? That may seem like a lot for one person, but what if I were to tell you that you could be eating four or five whole scallions and asking for more?
Well, when you order churrasquito in Guatemala, you'll get not only the bits of steak and the requisite refried black beans, fried ripe plantains and a chunk of queso blanco but also two whopping, twelve-inch flour tortillas and four or five grilled, WHOLE green onions!
Yes, that is all on a single plate for ONE person, Since I had remembered the gigantic portion from my last visit, this time I specifically requested only the meat and the scallions (and they talked me into adding a grilled half potato).
The little strips of steak were reasonably tasty and not very tough, but the reason I remembered and went back to this eatery was the grilled scallions. Although they still retained a tiny bit of the bite or sting that green onions can have, they were actually somewhat sweet and, as the Aussies would say when I watch Masterchef Australia, definitely "moreish." Honestly, even just PART of a green onion can sometimes be overwhelming, but I could eat a whole platter of these grilled ones with no problem.
When I first encountered these, I googled for more information when I got home. One recipe suggested mixing adobo seasoning (the powder from the spice aisle, not the sauce in the canned chipotles) with softened butter and spreading that mixture onto the scallions before grilling them. Another said to use olive oil with chopped rosemary and parsley (and actually cooked them in foil before just finishing them on the grill). Since I hadn't found anything to indicate the traditional, authentic, Guatemalan way, I kept a close eye on the grill as my meal was prepared and I asked a few questions, as well.
The green onions had not been prepared in any special way (apart from cleaning them up and trimming off the roots and any scraggly parts of the greens) and they were just placed directly onto the hot grill (by "grill" I mean the big griddle that many people often call a "grill" and that some would call the "flat top"). After she had cooked them for about three minutes, she sprinkled a tiny bit of vegetable oil onto them, flipped them and cooked them the same amount on the other side - once in a while, during the whole process, pressing down on them with the grill spatula. That's all!
There's no reason this shouldn't work on a home griddle or even a good sauté pan, so I'm seeing a lot more green onions in my future. YUM!
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Probably most of us on this forum like green onions but how many of us would eat a whole one - green and white - in one sitting? That may seem like a lot for one person, but what if I were to tell you that you could be eating four or five whole scallions and asking for more?
Well, when you order churrasquito in Guatemala, you'll get not only the bits of steak and the requisite refried black beans, fried ripe plantains and a chunk of queso blanco but also two whopping, twelve-inch flour tortillas and four or five grilled, WHOLE green onions!
Yes, that is all on a single plate for ONE person, Since I had remembered the gigantic portion from my last visit, this time I specifically requested only the meat and the scallions (and they talked me into adding a grilled half potato).
The little strips of steak were reasonably tasty and not very tough, but the reason I remembered and went back to this eatery was the grilled scallions. Although they still retained a tiny bit of the bite or sting that green onions can have, they were actually somewhat sweet and, as the Aussies would say when I watch Masterchef Australia, definitely "moreish." Honestly, even just PART of a green onion can sometimes be overwhelming, but I could eat a whole platter of these grilled ones with no problem.
When I first encountered these, I googled for more information when I got home. One recipe suggested mixing adobo seasoning (the powder from the spice aisle, not the sauce in the canned chipotles) with softened butter and spreading that mixture onto the scallions before grilling them. Another said to use olive oil with chopped rosemary and parsley (and actually cooked them in foil before just finishing them on the grill). Since I hadn't found anything to indicate the traditional, authentic, Guatemalan way, I kept a close eye on the grill as my meal was prepared and I asked a few questions, as well.
The green onions had not been prepared in any special way (apart from cleaning them up and trimming off the roots and any scraggly parts of the greens) and they were just placed directly onto the hot grill (by "grill" I mean the big griddle that many people often call a "grill" and that some would call the "flat top"). After she had cooked them for about three minutes, she sprinkled a tiny bit of vegetable oil onto them, flipped them and cooked them the same amount on the other side - once in a while, during the whole process, pressing down on them with the grill spatula. That's all!
There's no reason this shouldn't work on a home griddle or even a good sauté pan, so I'm seeing a lot more green onions in my future. YUM!
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?