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Sekai Gohan
Bife a Cavalo: Brazilian Pan-Seared Steak Topped with a Fried Egg
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Beef steaks (bife de alcatra; coxão mole or contrafilé also work) | 2 steaks, about 5 oz (150 g) each | The main event, pounded and rubbed |
| Fresh medium eggs (ovos) | 2 | One fried egg rides on each steak |
| Garlic (alho) | 1 clove | Base of the rub |
| Orange juice (suco de laranja), optional | 2 tbsp | Brightens the rub and softens the meat |
| Cooking oil (óleo) | 4 tbsp in all | For coating the steaks and frying the eggs |
| Salt (sal) | 1 tsp, or to taste | Seasons the rub |
| Black pepper (pimenta-do-reino) | 1 coffee spoon, or to taste | Heat and aroma in the rub |
| White rice, cooked | as needed | On the plate under and beside the steak |
| French fries | as needed | The other half of the plate |
Steps
1Pound the steaks lightly
Lay one steak on the cutting board. Tap it all over with the meat mallet, using light taps that loosen the fibres without flattening the meat into a thin sheet. Loosened fibres keep the steak from curling up when it hits the hot pan. Do the second steak the same way. Each steak is done when it has spread out slightly and lies flat on the board.
2Grind the garlic paste
Put the garlic clove, salt and black pepper into the mortar. Grind with the pestle in firm circles, pressing the garlic against the wall of the bowl. Keep going until no pieces of garlic remain. The paste is ready when it is smooth and pale, flecked with pepper.
3Add the orange and coat both sides
Pour the orange juice into the paste and stir until it is evenly mixed, with no streaks of juice left. Brush the paste and some of the oil over one face of each steak, then turn them and coat the other face. Keep the rest of the oil for the eggs. The steaks are ready when every surface is glossy and evenly coated, with no dry patches.
4Sear, then flip once
Heat the medium skillet over high heat until it is properly hot. Lay in the steaks, then turn the heat down to medium. Leave them alone until juice appears on the upper face and the underside is browned, then flip them once. Brown the second side the same way, then lift the steaks onto the plates.
5Fry the eggs in a separate pan
Set the second skillet over medium heat with the remaining oil. Crack the eggs in gently, one at a time, so the yolks stay whole. Let them cook without stirring. They are done when the whites are fully white and set and the yolks have firmed but are still unbroken.
6Put the egg on horseback
Have each plate ready with rice and fries, and set a cooked steak on it. Slide the wide spatula under one egg, lift it in one move, and lay it on top of the steak. Do the same with the second egg on the other plate. The plate is finished when the egg sits squarely on the steak with its yolk whole.