Dean "Schuey" SchumannMay 18, 2021

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This is a dish I had never heard about. When I think of Brazilian dishes, I’m thinking beef grilled to perfection with herb-rich chimichurri.

I stumbled upon this style of cooking garlic bread by accident and I’m so glad I did. It actually feels really decadent when eating it. It has a super-rich flavor, with the cheese, and the silkiness of the butter and mayonnaise.

Now I know, the cilantro may have already turned off a few people but fear not, I’ll give you an easy substitute.

Brazilian garlic bread

Be warned, this is heavy on the garlic and this is due to one Brazilian ingredient or mixture that is required to make this garlic bread.

cilantro garlic bread ingredients in a wooden table — If you are not fond of cilantro, just use basil instead

I’m sure it could be toned down just a little bit but when I was looking for an authentic Brazilian side dish, I wanted to create it as close to the original as I could. Most of the authentic recipes I found called for even more garlic, I have actually toned it down already.

On the bright side, once you’ve eaten this garlic bread you will not catch a cold all winter, for the next decade or two.

This recipe calls for Brazillian sofrito but before you start hunting for this mystery ingredient you should know it’s easy to make from some basic ingredients. Onion, garlic, and oil.

Brazilian Sofrito ingredients on a wooden table — *This cilantro garlic bread recipe features a special ingredient called Sofrito, which is heavy on the garlic*

Sofrito is a Brazilian staple used in many dishes and going by the amount of garlic in this, it will outlive me on the shelf. Well don’t hold me to that but it sure does pack a massive punch.

What bread to use?

The beauty of this is you can use any loaf of bread. I opted for a white crunchy loaf. Nothing flash, just a plain old white cob loaf.

sliced bread with cilantro garlic mixture — When slicing the bread, be careful not to cut it all the way through

You want to keep the loaf intact when you slice it.

I chose to keep the slice at a half-inch thick, this is a nice thickness that holds its shape once you start separating the bread after it has been turned into garlic bread.

cooked cilantro garlic bread on a wooden board — Brazilian Cilantro Garlic Bread is a great side dish for a grilled picanha steak

I decided to cook this in my BBQ because I was already making Rump Cap (Picanha) steaks, but there’s no reason you couldn’t do this in the oven.

Brazilian Cilantro Garlic Bread

Grilled over charcoal garlic-heavy crispy bread – a flavor-rich authentic Brazilian side dish.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Brazilian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: 8

Calories: 352kcal

Author: Dean “Schuey” Schumann

Ingredients

1 loaf of white crusty bread
4 tbsp salted butter
4 tbsp mayonnaise
⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
⅓ cup mozzarella cheese grated
2 tbsp Brazilain Sofrito (ingredients and method below)
⅓ cup cilantro or basil

Brazilian Sofrito:

1 white onion roughly chopped
2 heads garlic cloves separated, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup olive oil

Instructions

Brazilian Sofrito:

Add all ingredients into a blender.
Pulse until a smooth consistency.

Brazilian Cilantro Garlic Bread:

Preheat BBQ to 250°F-300°F.
Slice bread, making sure not to cut all the way through.
Put remaining ingredients into a food processor and whizz until combined.
Spread mixture into each slice of the bread.
Spread any left over on top.
Place some baking paper inside a large sheet of foil and wrap the bread in it.
Bake for 10 minutes, open foil and check the bread. If it needs it, leave it open for a couple of minutes to allow the top of the bread to get crunchy.