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Pique macho
Bolivia's heaped platter of beef, sausage, chips, egg and locoto chilli
Pique macho was invented in Cochabamba, legend says late one night when hungry customers asked for whatever was left, and it remains the sharing plate Bolivians order with friends: a pile of chips topped with beef strips and sausage cooked in a peppery sauce, with onion, tomato, locoto chillies and boiled eggs on top. The name roughly means "if it stings, you're a man", for the hot locoto. This recipe can include beer in the sauce; for an alcohol-free version use beef stock. The mistake is letting the chips sit under the sauce, so they go soggy; assemble right before serving. Chef's tip: oven chips work fine and leave the hob free for the meat.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss 2 ¼ lb potatoes with 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp vegetable oil and ½ tsp salt and roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once, until crisp.
40 minStep 2: Season 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rump with 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp ground cumin. Heat the rest of 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and brown the beef for 3–4 minutes. Lift out.
4 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz frankfurters or smoked sausages and fry for 4 minutes until browned and heated through. Add 2 red onions and 3 garlic cloves and cook for 3 minutes.
7 minStep 4: Return the beef, add 2 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), 1 tbsp mustard, ½ cup lager beer and the rest of ½ tsp salt and bubble for 3 minutes until saucy. Most of the alcohol cooks off. Add 3 tomatoes and 2 locoto or other hot chillies and toss for 1 minute.
4 minStep 5: Pile the chips on a large platter, spoon the meat and sauce over, and top with 4 eggs. Serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 880 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 54 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pique macho take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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