Bife koygua

Ingredients

Beef

• 800 gbeef steak, in thin slices
• or 800 g beef skirt or flank
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• black pepper
• 3 tablespoonsoil

Smothering

• 3large onions, thickly sliced
• 1red pepper, sliced
• 4garlic cloves, chopped
• 4tomatoes, chopped
• 2bay leaves
• 1 teaspoondried oregano
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 200 mlstock or water

To finish

• 4eggs
• chopped parsley
• spring onions, sliced

To serve

• boiled mandioca, cassava
• or white rice
• sopa paraguaya, optional

Directions

1. Cut it across the grain into thin slices. Cutting across the grain keeps it tender. Season them generously with salt and pepper. Let them sit for about ten minutes. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Get it properly hot before the meat goes in.
2. Lay the slices in a single uncrowded layer. Work in batches if the pan is small. Do not move them for two full minutes. Turn them and brown the other side briefly. Take them out and set them aside.
3. Add the sliced onions to the same pan. There should be a great deal of onion. Cook them slowly over a medium heat. Give them a full fifteen minutes. Add the sliced red pepper to it. Cook it for five minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Add the bay leaves, oregano and cumin.
4. Let the tomatoes break down for eight minutes. Pour in the stock or the water. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer. Return the beef and its juices to the pan. They should be completely covered. Cover the pan with a tight lid. Let it simmer gently for twenty minutes. Thin slices need only that long.
5. Uncover the pan and check the sauce. It should be thick rather than watery. Reduce it briefly if it is too loose. Make four hollows in the surface with a spoon.
6. Crack one egg into each hollow. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Cover the pan over with the lid again. Cook them for four or five minutes. The whites should set and the yolks stay soft. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Scatter chopped parsley over the pan.
7. Add plenty of sliced spring onions. Serving it is done straight from the pan. Bring the pan to the table if you can. Spoon plenty of the onion sauce over it. It keeps two days refrigerated without the eggs. Add fresh eggs when reheating it.

Technique

• Guarani is an official language of Paraguay alongside Spanish, and a great many dish names come from it.
• Koygua describes the smothering under vegetables, which is the defining feature of the dish.

Substitutions

• Any thin quick-cooking beef works, and chicken can be used the same way.
• The eggs can be fried separately and laid on top if you prefer.

Variations

• Some households add sliced carrot to the smothering.
• A version with more tomato gives a wetter and redder sauce.
• Milanesa is the other great Paraguayan beef standby.

History

Pan-fried beef smothered in onion and egg, a Paraguayan household staple whose name means covered beef in Guarani.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bife koygua?

Bife koygua is a main from Paraguay: beef smothered with onions, tomato and fried egg. Pan-fried beef smothered in onion and egg, a Paraguayan household staple whose name means covered beef in Guarani.

How long does Bife koygua take to make?

Bife koygua takes 20 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bife koygua?

Yes, within limits. Any thin quick-cooking beef works, and chicken can be used the same way. The eggs can be fried separately and laid on top if you prefer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bife koygua?

Lay the slices in a single uncrowded layer. Work in batches if the pan is small. Do not move them for two full minutes. Turn them and brown the other side briefly. Take them out and set them aside.