Uruguayan food recipes: chivitos
Different Options
Chivitos are one of the most renowned typical Uruguayan dishes, and often the favorite of people who visit the country. This dish can be found in three different varieties: chivito al plato, chivito al pan, and chivito canadiense.
Chivito al plato
A chivito al plato would usually have the following ingredients: a 1/4 inch steak (such as a filet mignon), 2 or 3 slices of bacon, an egg, ham, mozzarella cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce, fried potatoes and/or potatoes with carrots and green beans salad, mayonaisse, and salt.
How to prepare a chivito al plato: Fry the bacon and a few slices
of onion. Then, in the same pan and with the bacon grease, cook the
steak, adding a bit of salt when is half way done and then also adding
the ham and mozzarella cheese on top of it. The mozzarella cheese
should melt. Then fry the egg, use a clean pan if necessary. Then
cut the tomato in slices and start preparing the dish in the following
way: Start by putting the steak with ham and mozzarella on the dish,
then add the bacon, tomato, fried egg, and onion on top of it (the
order can vary). Add some more tomato and the lettuce to a side along
with the fries and potatoes salad. It can be done only with fries
or only with tomatoes as well.
Sometimes chivitos al plato are more basic and only have meat, muzzarella,
egg, ham and bacon.
Picture of a basic chivito al plato
Chivito al pan
For a chivito al pan you would need: bread (such as a hard roll), a 1/4 inch steak (such as a fillet mignon), tomato, lettuce, ham, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, and sometimes a boiled egg as well. How to prepare the chivito al plato: cook the steak in a pan. Add salt to it when is halfway done and at that point also add a slice of ham and a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of it (the cheese should melt). Add mayonnaise to the bread and then put the steak in it, followed by the tomato, lettuce, and boiled egg in slices. Eat it as a sandwich.
Chivito canadiense
A chivito canadiense is a chivito with several other ingredients. A chivito canadiense would require: bread (such as a hard roll or French bread), a 1/4 inch steak (such as a fillet mignon), a slice of ham, a slice of mozzarella cheese, tomato in slices, lettuce, a couple slices of bacon, onion, olives, pickles, and sweet belly pepper. You can add all these ingredients or only the ones you prefer (it is a quite customizable dish).
Prepare the chivito canadiense by: frying the bacon, onion in slices, and some slices of sweet red belly pepper as well if you wish. Then cook the steak in the grease of the bacon, adding salt to it when is halfway done as well as the ham and mozzarella on top. Then fry the egg (it can also be used boiled and in slices instead). Add some mayonnaise to the bread, then the steak with ham and cheese, followed by a slice of tomato, lettuce, bacon, onions, olives in slices, pickles, and sweet belly pepper. Don't forget to have many napkins next to you while you eat it!
