Ingredients
The sandwich
- 300 gbeef, sliced very thin — lomo, sirloin or rump
- 200 gmild melting cheese, sliced — mantecoso, Gouda or young Edam
- 2large soft rolls (pan frica or marraqueta)
- 2 tbspoil
- salt and pepper
- butter, for the rolls
To serve
- mayonnaise
- ají chileno or hot sauce
- fries
Directions
- Slice the beef as thinly as you can, against the grain. Freezing it for 20 minutes first makes this far easier.
- Get a heavy pan or flat plancha genuinely hot with the oil.
- Season the beef and cook it in a single layer, in two batches, 60–90 seconds a side. It is thin and it cooks in moments; overcooked beef is what turns this sandwich dry and chewy.
- Gather the cooked beef into two sandwich-sized piles on the pan, still over the heat.
- Lay the cheese slices over each pile and cover the pan with a lid or a bowl for 60–90 seconds, so the cheese melts down over the meat rather than being added cold at the end. That melt is the entire point of the sandwich.
- Split and lightly butter the rolls and warm them cut side down on the pan.
- Slide each beef and cheese pile straight into a roll, press gently, and serve immediately with mayonnaise and ají on the side.
- Named for President Ramón Barros Luco, who is said to have ordered nothing else at the Congress restaurant.
Technique
- Melt the cheese onto the meat in the pan. Assembling it cold and hoping the beef’s heat will do the job gives a disappointing sandwich.
- A mild, soft, high-moisture cheese. A sharp or hard cheese fights the beef instead of blanketing it.
- Eat it at once. It does not travel and it does not reheat.
Substitutions
- Mozzarella or a mild Havarti in place of queso mantecoso.
- A ciabatta roll if you cannot find marraqueta.
Variations
- Barros Jarpa, the same sandwich with ham instead of beef, named for his cousin.
- Chacarero, with beef, green beans, tomato and chilli.
History
Named for president Ramón Barros Luco, who is said to have ordered it repeatedly at the Congress restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
What is Barros Luco?
Barros Luco is a street food from Chile: hot sandwich of thin beef and melted cheese in a roll. Named for president Ramón Barros Luco, who is said to have ordered it repeatedly at the Congress restaurant.
How long does Barros Luco take to make?
Barros Luco takes 10 min of preparation and 12 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 sandwiches. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Barros Luco?
Yes, within limits. Mozzarella or a mild Havarti in place of queso mantecoso. A ciabatta roll if you cannot find marraqueta.
What is the most important thing to get right in Barros Luco?
Lay the cheese slices over each pile and cover the pan with a lid or a bowl for 60–90 seconds, so the cheese melts down over the meat rather than being added cold at the end. That melt is the entire point of the sandwich.
