Silpancho

A thin, crisp beef cutlet over rice and potatoes, topped with a fried egg and fresh tomato salad.

Bolivia · Beef · 70 min

DeSabor Kitchen · Published October 5, 2026 · Updated October 5, 2026 · 25 / 45 / 70 min · 4 · Bolivia

Pound the beef very thin so the breadcrumb coating browns before the meat toughens. Parboil potatoes before frying and prepare the fresh salad while they cook; assemble the layers only at the end.

Ingredients

• 4 thin beef steaks, about 500 g total
• 100 g breadcrumbs; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper
• 600 g potatoes, sliced; 5 tbsp oil, divided
• 600 g cooked rice; 4 eggs
• 2 tomatoes and 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Boil potato slices 8–10 minutes until just tender; drain. Pound beef between sheets of baking paper to about 3 mm thick.
2. Season beef with the measured salt and pepper and press breadcrumbs firmly onto both sides. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and pan-fry potatoes in a single layer until golden, about 4–5 minutes per side; keep warm.
3. Fry cutlets in another 2 tablespoons oil, in batches if necessary, 2–3 minutes per side until browned and at least 63°C; rest 3 minutes. Use the last tablespoon oil to fry eggs until whites and yolks are set.
4. Mix tomatoes, onion, lime and parsley. Reheat rice until steaming and layer rice, potatoes, beef, egg and salad on plates.

Cook's Tips

• Pounding the steak thin is essential; breadcrumbs should adhere without a thick coating.

Home-style recipe; not independently kitchen-tested. Check all ingredients and substitutions for allergens. Times are estimates; use the texture and temperature checks in the method. Serving accompaniments are separate unless listed. In temperatures above 32°C, refrigerate perishables within 1 hour rather than 2.