Pique macho

Name: Pique macho
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 5 people
Cuisine: Bolivian
Ingredients: 600 g Beef, sirloin or rump, in finger-thick strips; 4 piece Sausages, frankfurter-style, sliced on the diagonal; 1 kg Potato, peeled, cut into thick chips; 600 ml Neutral oil, for the chips, plus 2 tbsp for the pan; 2 medium Onion, thick wedges; 3 medium Tomato, cut in wedges; 1 medium Bell pepper, green or red, strips; 3 piece Fresh chilli, locoto or jalapeño; 1 sliced, 2 left whole for the brave; 4 large Egg, hard-boiled, quartered; 3 clove Garlic, minced; 1 tsp Cumin; 150 ml Beer, lager; or beef stock; 1 tbsp Mustard, yellow; 3 tbsp Tomato ketchup; 3 tbsp Mayonnaise; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper

Cochabamba's late-night shared platter: beef, sausage and chips tossed with onion, tomato, chilli and boiled egg under ketchup and mustard.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Rest: None
Total: 55 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Pique macho is a mountain of food on one platter: strips of beef and sliced sausages fried hard with onion and tomato, piled over chips, topped with boiled egg, whole locoto chillies and zigzags of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. A splash of beer deglazes the pan. It is meant to be eaten by a table of people with forks from the same plate, late, with more beer. The dish is honest bar food and does not pretend otherwise. Use a sirloin or rump that will stay tender in a fast fry, and cook the chips twice so they survive the sauce. Forty-five minutes, four to six eaters.

What you'll need

17 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 17 ready

5 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Beef, sirloin or rump, in finger-thick strips600 g
Sausages, frankfurter-style, sliced on the diagonal4
Potato, peeled, cut into thick chips1 kg
Neutral oil, for the chips, plus 2 tbsp for the pan600 ml
Onion, thick wedges2 medium
Tomato, cut in wedges3 medium
Bell pepper, green or red, strips1 medium
Fresh chilli, locoto or jalapeño; 1 sliced, 2 left whole for the brave3
Egg, hard-boiled, quartered4 large
Garlic, minced3 clove
Cumin4.9 ml
Beer, lager; or beef stock (optional)150 ml
Mustard, yellow15 ml
Tomato ketchup44 ml
Mayonnaise44 ml
Salt9.9 ml
Black pepper4.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Fry the chips in oil at 150°C for 6 minutes until soft but pale. Drain. Just before serving, fry again at 190°C until golden and crisp, 3 minutes, and salt.
15 min190°C
Tip: Double-frying is the only way the chips stay crisp under the meat and sauce for more than a minute.
Step 2
Season the beef with salt, pepper and cumin. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a very hot wide pan and sear the strips in two batches, 2 minutes each, so they brown rather than stew. Set aside.
8 min
Watch: A crowded pan boils the beef grey. Two batches.
Step 3
In the same pan fry the sausage slices until browned, then add onion, pepper, garlic and the sliced chilli and cook hard 4 minutes. Add the tomato wedges for 2 minutes; they should warm and soften but keep their shape.
8 min
Step 4
Return the beef, pour in the beer and let it bubble down to a glaze over a minute. Stir in a teaspoon of the mustard. Taste for salt.
3 min
Step 5
Pile the hot chips on a large platter, tip the meat and vegetables over, arrange the egg quarters and whole chillies on top, and zigzag ketchup, mayonnaise and the rest of the mustard over everything. Serve with forks for the table.
3 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 901 kcal
Protein: 55.6 g
Carbs: 49.2 g
Fat: 51.6 g
Saturated fat: 13.6 g
Fibre: 7 g
Sugar: 9.7 g
Sodium: 1111 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Eggs

Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Beef → Chicken breast strips
Pique de pollo is on most menus. Cook it through rather than just searing.

Tips

Serve on one platter, not plates. Dividing it up misses the point.
Some versions add a handful of chopped parsley at the end; it is one of the few green things on the plate.

History & culture

A Cochabamba dish, now served in every Bolivian city and at every football-night table. Ordered to share after a few drinks or as a weekend lunch with a litre of Paceña. The macho part is a dare: the whole locoto chillies on top are for anyone who wants to prove something. Portions in Cochabamba are famously enormous.

The story told in Cochabamba credits Restaurante Miraflores in the 1970s, where Honorato Quiñones and Evangelina Rojas threw together what they had for a table of late customers who asked for something picante. Pique comes from picante. Like most restaurant origin stories it is repeated more than proven, but the dish is certainly recent.

Traditional — Bolivian salchichas are mild frankfurter-style sausages; any plain cooked frankfurter is right. Locoto is a rocoto-type chilli; jalapeño or any thick-walled medium chilli stands in. Check sausage labels for wheat or soy if that matters.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Pique macho take?

55 min all in — 20 min prep, 35 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 5 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Medium heat.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Saucepan, Spider or strainer, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Beef → Chicken breast strips. Pique de pollo is on most menus. Cook it through rather than just searing.

What should I watch for?

A crowded pan boils the beef grey. Two batches.

Any tips from this recipe?

Serve on one platter, not plates. Dividing it up misses the point. Some versions add a handful of chopped parsley at the end; it is one of the few green things on the plate.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.