Ecuadorian churrasco
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
4 - 6
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
South American, Ecuadorian
Ecuadorian churrasco
Description
This recipe focuses on marinating thin beef steaks in a crushed garlic and ground cumin mixture with salt and pepper, enhancing the beef’s natural flavors with aromatic spices. After marinating, the steaks are grilled or pan-fried quickly to desired doneness.
The variation allows for quickly sautéing sliced onions, bell peppers, and sliced tomatoes with oregano and achiote or annatto for color and flavor. This vegetable mix can be served on top or alongside the steaks, adding texture and savory freshness.
Traditionally, Ecuadorian churrasco is served with a combination of rice prepared Ecuadorian style, fried eggs on top of the steak, homemade fries or potatoes, fried ripe plantains, fresh salads of tomato and onion or curtido, sliced avocado, and aji criollo hot sauce. This makes a hearty and varied meal with balanced protein, starches, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef steak skirt steak, flank or hanger type steaks are a good choice, for a higher end version of this dish you can also use sirloin, ny style, ribeye or tenderloin steaks
- 8-12 garlic crushed, cloves
- 1 tbs cumin ground
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Variation with peppers & onions:
- 1-2 tbs neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp annatto ground; or achiote
- 1 tbs oregano
- 1 red onion cut in thick slices
- 1-2 bell pepper red/green or any color you want, cut into slices
- 2 tomato cut into thick slices
Must have side dishes:
- rice Ecuadorian style
- egg fried
- potato homemade fries
- plantains fried, ripe
- tomato or your choice of salad, for curtido salad
- onion or your choice of salad, for curtido salad
- avocado slices
- aji criollo hot sauce
Instructions
- Mix the crushed garlic, cumin, salt and pepper together to make a marinade for the meat.
- Rub the garlic cumin marinade on the thin steaks and let marinate for a couple of hours.
- Grill or fry the steaks over high heat to desired doneness; since they are relatively thin they won’t take too long to cook.
- If frying them and making the variation with peppers & onions, then remove the the steaks from the pan and let them rest. In the same pan, add the oil.
- Add the red onion slices and bell pepper slices, oregano, achiote, and a sprinkle of salt/pepper. You can also add additional garlic and cumin if you would like. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onions and peppers are soft.
- Add the tomato slices and cook for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- You can either add the steaks back to the pan and mix everything together, or just serve them with onion and pepper mix on top.
- Serve the steaks with a crispy fried egg or two on top and with the additional side dishes of rice, homemade fries, fried ripe plantains, tomato and onion curtido or your choice of salad, plus avocado slices and aji criollo. You can mix and match the sides according to your preference.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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