Bistec a lo Pobre is a satisfying meal popular throughout most of South America, especially in Chile. The basic elements of bistec a lo pobre are steak, fried potatoes, fried onions, and fried eggs. The name roughly translates to "poor man's steak," though the dish is actually quite rich and indulgent.
Preparing bistec a lo pobre can leave you with many dirty dishes, but there's a trick to avoid that problem. Keep the components warm in the oven as you prepare them, and use the same deep-sided skillet over and over (I like to use a cast iron).
Serve bistec a lo pobre with a side of rice and a small salad.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 thinly cut sirloin steaks or filets
- 3 large onions, sliced thinly
- 4-6 yellow potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 eggs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Peel and cut the potatoes into french fries. Cook fries in hot (360 degree) vegetable oil until golden. Drain on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels, season with salt, and place in a 200 degree oven to keep them warm.
- Carefully pour the excess vegetable oil into a separate container, leaving about 3 tablepoons in the skillet, or use a new skillet.
- Sauté onions in the vegetable oil until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove onions and place in a shallow pan or casserole dish, and place in oven with the french fries.
- Finely chop the garlic. Season one side of the steaks with salt and pepper and sprinkle with half the chopped garlic. Pound steaks with a meat hammer to flatten them, then flip them and repeat on the other side with the remaining garlic.
- Sauté steaks on high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness. Place steaks over onions and return to the oven.
- Add a little oil to the skillet and fry the eggs, sunnyside up. Season with salt and pepper if desired. While the eggs are cooking, remove the potatoes, steak and onions from the oven. Distribute the onions among 4 plates, top with a portion of the fries, and lay the steaks on top. When the eggs are ready, top each steak with a fried egg. Serve immediately.
