Anticuchos
Serves 4

In Peru, you can find street vendors with portable grill carts, barbequing anticuchos for the hungry pedestrian. Instead of nice wooden skewers that were manufactured in a factory, the skewers used are made from sugar cane, which is split and made into sticks. At the end of the stick there is usually a slice of potato and slice of corn on the cob. The sticks are then served to you on a cornhusk. No paper plates here! Also, the basting brush is made from shredded cornhusk tied around one of the sugar cane sticks.

1 ½ lbs beef heart, trimmed and cut into 1 in by 2 in by ½ in strips**
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 4 tsp Aji Amarillo*
1 tsp ground Achiote (annatto seeds)*
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ C olive oil
1/3 C red wine vinegar
Wooden skewers

* Available at your local Latin market. One such place is:
Mi Tierra Foods
2096 San Pablo Ave,
Berkeley, CA.
(510) 704-1726

** Beef heart can be ordered through your local butcher shop, but must be done so in advance. Albertson's actually sells these on-line! Trimming the heart can be a lot of work, as you will trim off about 1/3 in fat, and more in ventricles, etc.

Mix all ingredients except the oil and red wine vinegar to form a paste. Toss sliced beef with paste in large non-reactive dish. Cover and marinade over night in the fridge.

Two hours before barbeque, mix in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Cover and marinade in fridge.

One hour before barbeque, soak wooden skewers in water.

When the skewers are ready, string 4 -5 anticuchos per skewer. You may want to wear gloves. The achiote stains your fingers.

Reserve marinade in a bowl and use to baste the anticuchos.

On a high grill, barbeque the anticuchos 2-3 minutes per side, basting with reserved marinade.

Serve with sliced potatoes and corn on the cob.