Silpancho

Silpancho Cochabambino

The signature plate of Cochabamba: a wafer-thin, breaded beef cutlet served over rice and sliced fried potatoes, topped with a fried egg and a fresh tomato-onion salsa (llajwa). It is built to be eaten in layers, fork and knife only.

Prep

25 min

Cook

35 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) beef top round (eye of round or sirloin), trimmed of excess fat, sliced very thin across the grain
• •100 g (3½ oz) plain dried breadcrumbs, fine, unseasoned
• •2 whole (2 large) eggs, one for the breading, one per serving for frying
• •60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour, for dredging
• •500 g (1.1 lb (about 2 medium)) russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, sliced 3 mm thick
• •300 g (1⅔ cups) long-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• •600 ml (2½ cups) water or light chicken broth, for cooking the rice
• •2 g (1 tsp) salt, for the rice water, plus more to taste
• •1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying; sunflower oil is traditional in Bolivia
• •300 g (about 2 medium) ripe tomatoes, finely diced for the salsa
• •120 g (1 medium) white onion, finely diced for the salsa
• •1 whole (1 small) fresh ají amarillo or jalapeño chili, seeded and minced; substitute jalapeño if ají is unavailable
• •10 ml (2 tsp) fresh lime juice, or red wine vinegar
• •10 g (2 tsp) fresh cilantro, finely chopped, or parsley if unavailable
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt, for the salsa; adjust to taste
• •1 g (¼ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •2 g (1 tsp) ground cumin, optional but characteristic; Bolivian home cooks often add it to the meat

Steps

1. 1 Cook the rice: combine the rinsed rice, 600 ml water/broth, and 2 g salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. 2 Make the llajwa (salsa): combine the diced tomato, onion, minced chili, lime juice, cilantro, and 1 g salt in a bowl. Stir and let sit at least 10 minutes so the juices form. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside at room temperature.
3. 3 Prepare the cutlets: place each slice of beef between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a heavy skillet or meat mallet until about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick and roughly doubled in surface area. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and the cumin.
4. 4 Set up a breading station with three shallow plates: flour, one beaten egg (seasoned with a pinch of salt), and breadcrumbs. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip in egg, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Let the breaded cutlets rest on a tray for 5 minutes to set the coating.
5. 5 Fry the potatoes: pat the 3 mm potato slices dry with a clean towel. Heat 1 cm (½ inch) of oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat to about 175 °C / 350 °F. Fry the slices in a single layer, without crowding, 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Keep warm.
6. 6 Fry the cutlets: in the same oil, fry the breaded cutlets one at a time, about 2–3 minutes per side, until the crust is deep golden brown and the meat is cooked through. Because the cutlets are pounded very thin, they cook fast; the interior should reach 71 °C / 160 °F on an instant-read thermometer with no pink remaining. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
7. 7 Fry the eggs: in a clean skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat, fry the remaining eggs sunny-side up or over-easy until the whites are fully set and the yolks remain runny, about 2–3 minutes. Cook the egg yolk-safe to at least 63 °C / 145 °F if you prefer no runny yolk.
8. 8 Assemble each plate: spread a bed of rice on one half of the plate, arrange a layer of fried potato slices next to it, lay a hot silpancho over the potatoes so it covers them almost completely, then top with a fried egg. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the tomato-onion salsa over the egg and around the plate. Serve immediately, eaten with a fork and knife, cutting through all the layers together.