The Peruvian street-food dish consisting of marinated grilled beef-heart skewers is anticuchos.
Anticuchos are skewers of meat marinated in a mixture that commonly includes vinegar, garlic, cumin, and ají peppers. The best-known version uses beef heart, which is cut into pieces, threaded onto skewers, and grilled over a charcoal fire. Street vendors often serve the skewers with potatoes, corn, or a spicy sauce.
The dish has roots in the Andean region and reflects culinary influences that developed during Peru’s colonial period. Beef heart became a particularly important ingredient in the Peruvian tradition of anticuchos, although other meats may also be used.
Anticuchos are sometimes confused with generic kebabs or brochettes. The word refers specifically to a Peruvian and wider Andean skewer tradition, while the beef-heart version is the iconic form associated with Peruvian street food.