Vida Recetas Editorial
Bistec a lo pobre is one of the best-loved dishes in Chilean cooking: a beef steak seared over high heat, served on a bed of fries with golden onions and a fried egg with a soft yolk on top. Despite the name there is nothing poor about it: it is a generous, filling plate, the kind people order without hesitating in a restaurant and that in Peru comes with white rice and fried plantain.
Its name tells its story: it began as a meal built from whatever the kitchen had (meat, potatoes, onion and eggs) and became a celebration dish thanks to its contrast of textures and flavours. It is a classic Chilean family lunch and a great recipe for a long weekend or a cookout.
Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Servings
4
Calories
650 kcal
Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1 cm thick fries and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to release the starch; dry them very well with a cloth or kitchen paper.
Cut the onions into thin half-moons and season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides; leave them at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
Heat the oil to 170-180 °C and fry the potatoes in batches, without crowding them, for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp; drain on kitchen paper and salt them.
In a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, cook the onion over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden; keep it warm.
Heat a griddle or heavy pan over the highest heat, grease it lightly and sear the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side: golden outside, pink and juicy in the centre.
Take the meat out and rest it for 2 minutes covered with foil while you fry the eggs.
Fry the eggs in a small pan with plenty of hot oil without breaking the yolks; tilt the pan and spoon the hot oil over the whites for 30 to 45 seconds so the edges turn crisp.
Build each plate with the steak as the base, spoon the onion over the meat and set the fries alongside.
Top with the fried egg, add salt and freshly ground pepper and take the plates straight to the table, piping hot.
This recipe has a medium difficulty level, which means it's accessible for cooks of all levels.
The preparation time is 20 minutes and the cooking time is 25 minutes.
This recipe is designed for 4 servings.
Yes, many ingredients can be substituted with similar alternatives. We recommend checking the recipe variations.
Store the preparation in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Some preparations can be frozen for up to 3 months.
