Pique a lo Macho - Tantalize Your Tastebuds!
Do you like fried potatoes? Sausage? Roast? Can you imagine a dish that combines all of that? If you want to cook something different and delicious, here is my recipe for a widely known and well-received Bolivian dish: Pique a lo Macho (or Pique Macho). You could prepare it to impress your guests on a special occasion or just to enjoy it with your family. In Bolivia, or more exactly in Cochabamba (the city where the dish originally comes from), you could find it mostly in restaurants as a special dish; there are many varieties, and people usually have it when they are with friends and family. The version I present here can admit many modifications to taste, as you will see. Get ready to start and prepare two large saucepans, one little pot, and the ingredients below (which are listed in the order you will use them). I assure you will enjoy every bite of it.
Do you like fried potatoes? Sausage? Roast? Can you imagine a dish that combines all of that? If you want to cook something different and delicious, here is my recipe for a widely known and well-received Bolivian dish: Pique a lo Macho (or Pique Macho). You could prepare it to impress your guests on a special occasion or just to enjoy it with your family. In Bolivia, or more exactly in Cochabamba (the city where the dish originally comes from), you could find it mostly in restaurants as a special dish; there are many varieties, and people usually have it when they are with friends and family. The version I present here can admit many modifications to taste, as you will see. Get ready to start and prepare two large saucepans, one little pot, and the ingredients below (which are listed in the order you will use them). I assure you will enjoy every bite of it.
- black pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
- 2 large onions
- 1 large tomato
- 8 potatoes
- salchichas: spanish sausages, you can s
- oil required
- locoto or sweet pepper: locoto is
- 3 cloves garlic optional
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 kg braising steak
- 1 soy sauce or salt to taste
- 1 cumin to taste; optional
- red wine or beer required
- Carbohydrate 89.9884025 g
- Cholesterol 423 mg
- Fat 17.630965 g
- Fiber 12.4158752972484 g
- Protein 23.7096875 g
- Saturated Fat 3.7398425 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (941g)
- Sodium 370.4135 mg
- Sugar 77.5725272027516 g
- Trans Fat 2.1439325 g
- Calories 599 calories
Step-by-step
- Advice before starting: I would suggest frying the potatoes while making the other preparation, but you also can fry the potatoes first and then continue with the other part (It takes longer this way).
- Boil the eggs.
- Peel the potatoes and chop them in thick and long shapes. There is not an exact size for the potatoes, do it as you like but not too small.
- Have ready the sausage (salchichas) sliced diagonally so that you obtain long shapes as the potatoes (their shapes should be the same).
- Heat up the oil. Make sure you have plenty of it and it must be really hot. Put a portion of potatoes. The oil must cover all the potatoes. Once cooked to a golden brown color drain the grease and repeat the process as many times as required. Then do the same with the sausage.
- Wash and julienne the onions and the chilis (cut long thin slices). You can add or substitute the chili peppers with sweet peppers if you don’t want the dish too spicy. If you like you can also slice and add 3 cloves of garlic. Then sauté all of that, with two tablespoons of oil, until the onion turns transparent.
- Another optional step is to chop and put the tomato together with the onion but if you like it fresh keep it till the end.
- Cut the steak into cubes and add, let it fry to a golden brown color. I recommend adding soy sauce but you can use salt instead, also add black pepper (and cumin if you want). Let the spices penetrate into the meat. Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of red wine or beer. If you see the preparation too dry, you can add more.
- Add the sausage and the fried potatoes into this preparation, and stir. Leave a few minutes placed on high heat and serve with the boiled eggs cut in pieces. If you set aside the tomatoes you can add them to the dish.
Braising steak anchors this entire dish, providing deep savory flavor while tenderizing during the simmer. Selecting a cut with adequate marbling ensures the meat withstands direct heat without drying out, absorbing the soy sauce and red wine or beer efficiently. Cutting the steak into uniform cubes prior to pan-searing guarantees even cooking across every single piece.
Frying the potatoes in batches requires hot oil that completely submerges the cut pieces to achieve a crisp exterior while maintaining a fluffy interior. Visually monitor the potatoes until they reach a deep golden brown hue before draining the excess grease on paper towels. Matching the diagonal slice of the sausages to the shape of the potato sticks creates a uniform texture throughout the final platter.
Portioning leftovers into airtight containers allows this preparation to keep safely in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing cooked potatoes alters their cellular structure and creates a mealy texture upon thawing, so separating the meat and vegetable components before freezing preserves overall quality. Reheat the beef and sausage mixture gently on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to restore moisture.
Testing the doneness of the beef cubes relies on visual cues rather than internal temperature tools. Once the exterior develops a deeply browned crust and the liquid reduces entirely into a glossy coating, the protein reaches optimal tenderness.
