Chilean Chacarero Steak Sandwich

Chacarero Sandwiches are  a traditional Chilean Street food. Because street food is made by vendors who are often local to that region, they feature ingredients and flavors that authentically represent the tastes of that area and culture. Chilean food has been influenced both by surrounding South American traditions but also by a history of attempted colonization by many different European countries. We’re using the traditional combination of steak, tomatoes, and green beans for our sandwiches.

One of the most remarkable and delicious elements in this sandwich is a unique green bean salad inside. We’ll start by steaming our green beans for only a few minutes so they are still crisp and bright green. To add some brightness and acidity, Chef Jeff also added some pepperoncini peppers that are tangy and slightly briny.

This spread features our Merken Spice blend, a seasoning that is slightly earthy from coriander and deeply smoky with smoked sweet paprika and Granulated Goats Horn Chiles, a pepper which originates from the Chilean region and is dried using smoke. Merken seasoning originated in the Mapuche region of Chile but has grown in popularity all over the country as it adds a small amount of heat and smokiness that gives complexity to even the simplest dishes. Because of the heartiness in texture of the toppings we used, this is a great sandwich to plan for a picnic or camping trip and won’t become wilted if packed in a cooler.

Make sure you split your condiment in two separate bowls so you can avoid cross- contamination in the two different applications we’ll be using it for- once you’ll spread the mayonnaise on the steaks will help to retain moisture and add flavor to our meat, and the other as a condiment for your rolls. Because they are pounded thin, the steaks will need hardly any time on the grill, and the mayo mixture adds flavor from the garlic and Merken but also helps it from sticking to the grates.

This sandwich would traditionally be made with taleras rolls, a bread that has a soft chewy interior and crispy crust, but Jeff went with Ciabatta rolls because that’s what we could find around here. Grilling them will help add texture and prevent it from becoming soggy.