THE NEW SENSATION OF PERUVIAN CUISINE, CHANCHO AL PALO!!

Chancho al Palo is a stew originally prepared by the Ramirez family in the 80's. At that time livestock farming was their main activity. Family and friends Would get together for lavish banquets at their estate in Huaral, sometimes in celebration of harvest and other times for birthdays of members of the family.

Roberto Ramírez "Robertin" con su primo
 Carlos Ramírez

During on of these meetings Carlos Ramirez and Roberto Ramirez, who are passionate about country cooking decided to modify the ancestral method of roasting meats on post by introducing a new technique that shortened the cooking time and also made it consistent. Now there was a new way of preparing pork, making the meat golden and crispy with a delicious roasted wood aroma.

The elementary and traditional way of roasting meat is to pierce it with a stick, which took 8 hours to cook, but the new method, which was to open the pork, remove the bones and make squared cuts on the meat, then they used a different type of grill, which was developed in the workshop of a family member and this reduced cooking time to 3 hours. Friends from Lima came to the estate in Huaral, and word about the stew started to spread quickly. It didn't take for Gaston Acurio to become curious about the dish,who after witnessing the appetizing stew, decided to do a story about this dish in his show "Aventura Culinaria" (2007) making the dish and instant success. Mistura Food Fest 2010 was the next step and followed by achievents obtained, they decided to open a restaurant in carabayllo-Lima,  to bring their signature dish closer to the capital, Lima and continue apreading the cuisine of their province.

Chancho al Palo at Mistura Food Festival

Carlos Ramirez en Long Island - New York

Mistura has been since the beginning a great showcase for small and new restaurateurs. Their first festival was held in 2008, it was called "Peru Mucho Gusto" and Roberto Ramirez (El Rancho de Robertin) as exhibitor of Chancho al Palo, the following year he returned to participate in the same festival, only to leave his cousin Carlos Ramirez Buitron "Carlos Ramirez - Tradiciones de Huaral" in charge of the delicious dish. Since 2010, het has delighted the palates of thousands of people. Long lines formed to try the much-publicized Chancho al Palo. From far, you could see the smoking stand, where the aroma of burning wood surrounded us, trapping and guiding us to try this unique delicacy.

El Antes de después del Chancho al Palo, Gastón Acurio y los primos Ramírez!!

Carlos Ramírez y Gastón Acurio (Año 2007 - Huaral)
(Fotografía : Liliana Com)

El Año 2007 marca un antes y un después del Chancho al Palo huaralino, aquel potaje que nació en la chacra de la familia Ramírez y que sólo era conocido entre los habitantes de Huaral, no gozaba de popularidad, ya que la vedette de aquellos tiempos era la Pachamanca huaralina.

Sin embargo, en una celebración por el Día de Trabajo, Carlos Ramírez fue el encargado de preparar el chanchito para 400 personas en la granja de la familia Wong, fue ahí que estaba una persona allegada a Gastón Acurio, la Sra. Liliana Com, que filmó y fotografió la preparación del crujiente manjar y se la llevó a mostrársela a su amigo Gastón.

Aventura Culinaria - Carlos Ramírez

En aquel entonces, Gastón Acurio conducía el programa "Aventura Culinaria" que difundía lo mejor de la Gastronomía Peruana. Carlos Ramirez fue invitado para realizar un reportaje de este novedoso potaje huaralino. Un domingo muy temprano Gastón visito Huaral, primero fue al Rancho de Robertín de Roberto Ramírez a disfrutar de una exquisita carapulcra (en el video comenta sobre Robertín como pionero en la preparación del Chancho al Palo) y luego se reunió con Carlos Ramirez en la chacra de Juani Wong, fue ahí donde se preparó El Chancho al Palo Huaralino.

Roberto Ramírez y Carlos Ramírez

Este suceso marco el inicio de lo que sería el plato sensación de Mistura ya que al año siguiente Robertín Ramirez fue invitado al Festival PERU MUCHO GUSTO por dos años consecutivos causando sensación entre todos los visitantes, y los medios de comunicación empezaban a poner en vitrina a nuestro crocante manjar huaralino, dicho evento tuvo lugar en el cuartel militar de Miraflores, posteriormente se denominaría MISTURA. Luego Carlos Ramirez tomaría la posta desde el año 2010 juntamente con otro huaralino "Ramadita Warmy" de Pepe Ipanaque que continuaron la tarea iniciada por Robertín de hacer del Chancho al Palo un manjar a nivel nacional!!!

Learning About North Carolina Style Barbecue!!

The term "barbecue" in North Carolina is nearly synonymous with pork, and it's a big part of the state's history. There are two distinct types of barbecue that have developed over hundreds of years in North Carolina: Eastern and Western. The styles differ in the cut of pork, how that pork is prepared and the type of sauce poured on top. The Lexington or Piedmont style uses only the pork shoulder, slow-cooked and pulled, and a barbecue sauce that includes ketchup, vinegar, pepper and a variety of spices.

The Eastern style uses a whole hog cooked low and slow, chopped and topped with a vinegar and pepper based sauce with no ketchup to be found.  Both are typically served with slaw on a soft bun. If you're from North Carolina you might have to pick your favorite but visitors are free to enjoy both styles.

The Best BBQ Restaurant in North Carolina - Hill's Lexington BBQ

Hill’s Lexington Barbecue

Adress: 4005 Patterson Avenue

Winstom-Salem, NC 27105

(336)767-2184 / (336)767-3502

Winston-Salem’s Only original Lexington Barbecue

Hill’s Original Lexington Barbecue was founded in 1951 specializing in “Hot From the Pit” barbecue.

The Hill family started their business in a small building with seating for 35 customer at a counter just south of the present location.

As it was from the beginning, selected pork is slowly cooked over hickory wood coals and topped with Hill’s secret sauce. Hill’s hush puppies, slaw and famous banana pudding continue to be made from the original recipes today.

Hill’s Lexington Barbecue remains a family-owned and operated restaurant, where customer satisfaction is their overall goal.

The Hill family appreciates your continued patronage and their hope to serve you again soon!