The Poor Man’s Beefsteak, Bistec a lo Pobre, a Peruvian Tradition

By Brayan Coraza Morveli

Extraordinary flavor and ease of preparation makes this dish a favorite. But in reality the dish is much more than its name suggests. Anyone would believe, on hearing it, that you would find a minuscule piece of meat with just a little rice. In reality, the opposite is true.

Maybe its name comes from the ease of preparation or from the ingredients from which it is made, since it is similar to a rice with french-fried potatoes and a fried egg. Really, the only difference is that this dish also has a well seasoned pan-fried steak to go along with the rest.

This dish is rich in fats and is not good for people who have high cholesterol, hypertension, or diabetes. Because of all the fried foods it contains it could almost be considered junk food. Nevertheless, it is still loved.
Besides the mentioned, you can add other ingredients to this meal, such as fried plantains, hotdogs, tomatoes and lettuce.

It really takes little time to prepare this meal, you just need to cook up the rice and french-fries. You then season the meat and set it to fry while preparing your fried egg. In total it takes maybe fifteen to twenty minutes.
Besides at home, where can you find this dish?

Sometimes it will appear in the daily menu of some restaurants and occasionally can be found in tourist restaurants of Peru since this is a dish that, in one variation or another, is common throughout Latin America. In any case, you will always find it in the food section of the San Pedro Market near the stands that serve rice with egg, also called arroz a la cubana.

That is where you can always enjoy a delicious bistec a lo pobre. Another option, of course, is to buy the ingredients, take the twenty minutes, and make some up yourself. You will not regret it. This truly is a delicious dish.