When he was just 13 years old, Gabriel Garcia Lopes got his first taste of the barbecue business, working at a kabob place in his hometown of Adamantina, Brazil. A little over a decade later, he’s bringing authentic Brazilian barbecue to Madison with his catering company Braze.
“In the town where I’m from, there are a lot of farms and cattle. Our hobby there is barbecue. That’s where my love of grilling comes from,” says Lopes, a graduate of Madison East High School and the Madison College culinary program.
The 24-year-old chef started Braze earlier this year. He exclusively uses a 15-skewer rotisserie grill — imported from Brazil — when catering events. It’s a revolving grill with the skewers set at an angle. Lopes grills the traditional Brazilian beef cut known as picanha, short ribs, tri-tip served with roasted butter, chicken thighs seasoned with herbs and artisan sausage that he makes himself from locally sourced pork. He also roasts beets, zucchini, eggplants, asparagus and other local vegetables from Vitruvian Farms in McFarland.
“If you want something different we can do chicken hearts, too. People think they won’t like it. But then when they try one, they can’t stop eating them,” says Lopes.
What defines Brazilian barbecue is an emphasis on the flavor of the meat itself, not sauces applied afterward.
“The meat should be really good and tasty,” explains Lopes. “As we are grilling the meat, we are also smoking it. That’s why we mainly use hardwood chips from fruit trees.”
Engaging with the chef as he’s grilling and serving meat right off the skewer is all part of the authentic Brazilian barbecue experience.
“It’s not just serving food; it’s kind of like a show. People are watching the meat being grilled, taking pictures and having a good time,” says Lopes. “It’s also about sharing. When he takes something off the grill, everyone has a little bit. So you’re never full. You just keep eating and eating and eating. You never get bored at a Brazilian barbecue.”
For the time being, Braze is a side project for Lopes. He currently works as a chef at UW-Madison’s Union South. But he sees the catering gigs he’s doing now as a stepping stone to one day opening up his own 30-seat restaurant.
“I love Madison. When someone says, ‘Do you miss home?’ I say, ‘No. My home is here.’”
Lopes can be reached via facebook.com/brazebbq.
