Silpancho is a Cochabamba specialty combining a very thin breaded beef cutlet with rice, fried potatoes, tomato-onion salad and an egg. It is a substantial assembled plate, and the thin cutlet is part of the dish’s identity.
Silpancho is a Cochabamba specialty combining a very thin breaded beef cutlet with rice, fried potatoes, tomato-onion salad and an egg.
- Prep
- 35 minutes
- Cook
- 40–45 minutes
- Serves
- 4
- Cuisine
- Bolivian
The recipe
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Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
Method
-
Cook the rice. Rinse rice and simmer covered with the measured water and a pinch of salt for approximately 16–18 minutes, or according to its packaging. Rest covered.
-
Prepare potatoes. Rinse sliced potatoes and dry thoroughly. Shallow-fry in 70 ml oil over medium heat until golden and tender, about 4–6 minutes per side. Drain well.
-
Make the sarza. Mix tomatoes, diced onion, parsley and lime juice. Season lightly and chill.
-
Pound the beef. Pound each steak between food-safe sheets until very thin. Season, coat in flour, then beaten egg and finally breadcrumbs.
-
Fry the beef. Heat remaining oil in a wide skillet; fry cutlets about 2–4 minutes per side depending on thickness, until golden and safely cooked through. Do not crowd the pan.
-
Cook eggs and assemble. Fry eggs until the whites are fully set, cooking yolks through if serving higher-risk diners. Plate rice and potatoes, lay cutlet across, add egg and finish with sarza.
Chef’s notes
- A wide, thin cutlet gives silpancho its visual character.
- Keep the tomato-onion mixture fresh and place it on the dish just before serving.
- Cooked rice needs prompt cooling if it will not be eaten immediately.
Substitutions
- Pork cutlets can be used for an adaptation; cook pork fully.
- Use fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour substitutes when appropriate, with product checks.
- A small quantity of mild chili in the sarza is optional.
Storage and Food Safety
Refrigerate meat, potatoes, rice and fresh sarza separately within 2 hours at 4°C or below; cool rice even faster, ideally within 1 hour. Use rice within 24 hours and reheat it only once to at least 75°C. Assemble eggs fresh when practical.
Serve with
Tomato-onion sarza, cooked rice and fried potato
Allergens
Wheat (gluten) and egg; check breadcrumbs and sauces.
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