Versión en Español Chilean grilled beef brisket, or tapapecho a la parrilla, is a cut from the beef chest cooked for several hours over indirect heat, between 140 and 150°C (284 and 302°F), until its collagen softens and the meat turns tender. Plan on about 40 minutes of prep and 6 hours of cooking for 6 servings. It stands out for its dark spice crust and an inside that pulls apart easily when sliced. In…

Versión en Español Tallarín saltado is a Peruvian chifa dish of long noodles stir-fried in a wok with strips of beef, red onion, tomato, ají amarillo (a fruity Peruvian yellow chili) and sillao, the Peruvian name for soy sauce, finished with fresh scallions. It takes about 50 minutes and serves 4 as a one-plate lunch or dinner. It shares its base with Peruvian lomo saltado, but the noodles replace the french fries and rice and…

Versión en Español Tallarines bontú are long noodles coated in a white sauce enriched with cream, ham and mushrooms, then topped with cheese and baked until golden. The dish takes about 1 hour and 5 minutes and serves 4. Few pasta dishes are as familiar in Chile, where tallarines bontú appear on workplace cafeteria menus, packed lunches and weekend family meals. The name is spelled several ways, bontú, bontu or bontoux, and all of them…

Versión en Español Chilean Cantonese pork ribs, or costillar cantonés, are pork ribs marinated in soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger, baked slowly and finished with a glossy sweet and sour glaze. They need about 4 hours and 20 minutes of prep, most of it marinating time, plus 1 hour and 50 minutes in the oven for 4 servings. In Chile these ribs reached the table through neighborhood Chinese restaurants, where they share the menu…

Versión en Español Chilean roast chicken with potatoes, or pollo al horno con papas, is a main dish of chicken pieces marinated with garlic, ají de color (Chilean sweet paprika) and oregano, then roasted at 200°C (392°F) over potato wedges. It takes 40 minutes of prep, marinating included, and about 1 hour in the oven, and it serves 4. What sets it apart is that the potatoes cook in the fat and juices released by…

Versión en Español Chilean baked fish, or pescado al horno, is a white fish fillet such as reineta, hake (merluza) or corvina, baked on a bed of potatoes and vegetables with lemon and olive oil. It takes 20 minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the oven, all in a single baking dish, and serves 4. The key is to roast the vegetables first and add the fish at the end, so both are done…

Versión en Español Chilean oven-roasted ribeye, or lomo vetado al horno, is a whole piece of this beef cut seared in a skillet and roasted at 180°C (356°F) until it reaches the internal temperature of your chosen doneness, then served in slices. It takes 45 minutes of prep and 1 hour 15 minutes of cooking, resting included, and serves 6. What sets it apart is the intramuscular fat of the vetado, which softens as it…

Versión en Español Chilean green bean stew, or guiso de porotos verdes, is a country dish of sliced green beans cooked with potatoes, onion, carrot and ají de color (Chilean sweet paprika), then bound at the end with beaten egg. It takes 20 minutes of prep and 35 minutes on the stove, and it makes an inexpensive summer lunch for 4. What sets it apart is its moist, thick texture, somewhere between a charquicán (a…

Versión en Español Chilean beef chop suey, or chapsui de carne, is a Chinese-Chilean stir-fry of thin beef slices that are marinated, seared in a wok and tossed with crisp vegetables in a light soy sauce, then served over fluffy long-grain rice. It takes about 30 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking for 4 servings. Chapsui is one of the classics of Chile’s Chinese restaurants, alongside arroz chaufán (fried rice) and fried wontons.…

Versión en Español A homemade egg omelette is 3 eggs beaten with salt, pepper, and chives, cooked in butter or oil over medium high heat until the edges set, filled in the center with three fillings such as cheese, ham, corn, spinach, tomato, mushrooms, or bell pepper, folded, and rested a minute. It takes 10 minutes of preparation and 5 minutes of cooking, and serves 1. A quick, nutritious dish for any time of day,…