Pique Macho

Pique Macho

A hearty Bolivian street-food classic from Cochabamba: a mountainous pile of fries topped with sautéed beef, sausage, onion, tomato, boiled egg and the fiery locoto chilli, dressed with mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise.

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) potatoes, starchy, suitable for fries
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) beef sirloin or flank, cut into thin 3 cm strips
• •250 g (9 oz) Bolivian-style sausage, or Spanish-style chorizo or kielbasa if unavailable
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
• •1 large white onion, cut into thin strips
• •2 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges
• •1 fresh locoto chilli, or substitute with red jalapeño or serrano; remove seeds for less heat
• •4 large eggs
• •60 g (¼ cup) mayonnaise
• •60 g (¼ cup) ketchup
• •30 g (2 tbsp) yellow mustard
• •2 tsp soy sauce
• •1 tsp salt, plus extra to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 cm (½ in) batons for fries. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat very dry.
2. 2 Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 170 °C (340 °F). Fry the potatoes in batches for 4–5 minutes until pale and softened, then drain. Raise the oil to 190 °C (375 °F) and fry a second time for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and season immediately with salt.
3. 3 Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 9 minutes for firm yolks. Cool under cold running water, peel and halve or quarter lengthwise.
4. 4 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the beef strips with salt and pepper. Sear in a single layer for about 2 minutes, stirring once, until just browned but still juicy. The internal temperature should reach 63 °C (145 °F) for medium. Transfer to a plate.
5. 5 In the same skillet, add the sliced sausage and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until heated through and lightly browned at the edges.
6. 6 Add the onion strips to the skillet with the sausage and sauté for 2 minutes until just softened. Return the beef to the pan, add the soy sauce and toss for 30 seconds to combine.
7. 7 To assemble, mound the hot fries in the centre of a large platter or individual plates. Pile the beef, sausage and onion mixture generously over the fries.
8. 8 Top with the tomato wedges, arrange the boiled egg pieces around the mound, and place the whole or sliced locoto chilli on top.
9. 9 Drizzle generously with mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard in stripes or zig-zags. Serve immediately while everything is hot, with extra sauces on the side.