If you’ve been to Spain you’re probably familiar with the menu del dia which offers two courses plus bread, wine and dessert for a fixed price ranging from 12 to 18 euros. Typically you’re offered a couple of choices for each course and they’re served separately. It’s a leisurely meal where you can enjoy an entire bottle of wine. Another popular menu item is the plato combinado which is more similar to the way we eat in the United States. The sides usually consist of some type of salad, some type of potatoes and a fried egg. You choose the meat; steak, pork or chicken. Today I’m going to share how to make a classic plato combinado. The individual components aren’t difficult to prepare, but it does take some kitchen management to make it all come together at the same time.
You have a lot of leeway when making your plato combinado. When prepared in a restaurant the meat is typically cooked on a flat top (we’re going to pan fry it), and it tends to be thinly cut. You’ll want to take that into consideration when making your steak selections. In Spain, when you buy filetes in the market the butcher will cut them to your specifications from a huge chunk of center cut sirloin that has been trimmed of the external fat. We usually buy them about 1/2″ thick. In the US we are limited to the selections at the grocery store unless you have access to a butcher. I chose a top cut sirloin that was about 3/4″ thick and just shy of a pound. Rick and I ate the whole thing which is unusual for us but we were hungry after a day of working in the yard. If my son was home I could have pounded the steak out a little thinner and still had three very generous portions. It doesn’t matter what you choose as long as it can be cooked quickly.
When we order a plato combinado in Spain the choices for potatoes are usually fries or ensaladilla, a potato salad. Sometimes both are served. I wanted to share how to make patatas bravas, fried potatoes served with a spicy sauce. They’re a popular tapa and it’s worth learning how to make them.
The salad can be whatever you like. We’ve been served everything from chopped up iceberg lettuce with a couple slices of onions and tomatoes to a frisee sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. The one thing they all have in common is the dressing. You are given olive oil and red wine vinegar plus salt and pepper to dress your salad at the table. Sometimes you get a set of bottles, other times you’ll get squeeze packs. Of course you’re free to use something else when you make this at home.
Let’s talk about the fried egg. The Spanish way is to use plenty of olive oil (never butter) and to use a spoon to spread the hot oil over the whites to cook them. The result is a crispy edge that admittedly not everyone likes. However you want to fry your egg is fine. You can even omit it if you like, but I recommend serving it. The yolk will mix with the juices from the steak for a very flavorful mouthful that doesn’t require any steak sauce.
This recipe is going to be a little different in that the focus will be on the method for cooking the entire meal rather than the individual components. Please let me know in the comments if you need any clarification and I’ll try to give you a coherent answer.
Ingredients
Equipment
- 1 skillet or grill pan large enough to contain the steak
- 1 skillet with high sides or a dutch oven large enough to boil the potatoes and after they've been drained to fry them in a single layer (or you can boil the potatoes in a sauce pan and fry them in a skillet)
- 1 small skillet to fry the eggs or you can reuse the one you cooked the steak in
- colander or other means to drain the potatoes
- large spoon
- meat mallet
- a large bowl to hold the salad
- a small bowl to mix the salsa brava
- knives for chopping
- cutting board
- plates or platters paper plates work well to hold food that has been prepared
Condiments
- mayonnaise
- ketchup
- hot sauce Tabasco or similar
- vegetable oil for frying
- smoky paprika
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
Food
- Enough thin cut steak for serve 2 or 3 people; figure 4 - 8 ounces per person to suit your family
- Salad and fixings I bought a bag of ready to eat salad and cut up a tomato
- jarred roasted red peppers
- 1 large potato roughly fist sized per person, plus one more
- 1 large egg per person
- crusty bread like a baguette
Instructions
- Start the potatoes first. Peel and cut them into about 3/4" cubes, then put them in a large pan and cover them with water. Add 2 - 3 teaspoons of salt to the water. If you have a lid that will fit, cover the pan and bring to a boil. Let the potatoes cook until they can be penetrated with a fork, but not fall apart, start checking about 5 minutes after they come to a boil.
- While the potatoes are cooking prepare the salad however you like it and set it aside until ready to serve.
- Next, make the brava sauce for the potatoes. Mix about 1/4 cup each of mayonnaise and ketchup plus a generous dash of hot sauce in a bowl. Taste and adjust the mix to suit your taste. We like ours a little spicy. Set aside.
- Now, pound the steak a little thinner if needed, then rub a little olive oil into both sides of the steak and season with salt and pepper.
- If the roasted red peppers are whole, you can slice them into strips. The equivalent of one whole pepper is enough for 2 to 3 people.
- When the potatoes are just shy of being cooked, drain them into a colander and place them back into the hot pan to let them dry a little bit. Season them with salt, pepper and smoky paprika. Use a large spoon to gently mix the potatoes and distribute the seasoning. The action of mixing roughs up the surface of the potatoes and helps them form a crispy crust when they are fried.
- Put the potatoes back into the colander to hold them while you clean out the pan.
- Pour about 1/2" of vegetable oil into the pan and heat until you see the surface begin to shimmer.
- Add the potatoes, a few at a time in one layer if possible. Try not to fiddle with them so they will form a crust. When you can turn them easily, give them a stir every once in awhile to brown them on all sides. Adjust the heat to prevent them from browning too quickly.
- Start heating the pan for the steak just before you're ready to remove the potatoes. You can add a little oil to the pan if yours tends to stick.
- The potatoes are ready when the outside is golden brown and the inside is cooked through and fluffy. Remove the potatoes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Season with more salt, pepper and paprika. Cover to keep them warm.
- Start cooking the steaks. Let the steak tell you when it's ready to turn. It should release easily from the skillet. Thinner steaks will take less time than thicker ones. Once it's turned you can reduce the heat to cook the other side.
- After you've flipped the steak, arrange the roasted red peppers around the steak to heat them through.
- When the steak is cooked as you like it, remove it to a plate to rest while you cook the eggs.
- Either use a small skillet or quickly wash and dry the skillet you cooked the steak in (you just need to get rid of any residue, it doesn't have to be a full clean.)
- Fry the eggs the way you like them. You can cook them all at once or separately as you prefer. Transfer them to a plate to hold as they're cooked.
Let's plate up!
- Cut the steak into portions as needed and arrange one on each plate. Divide any collected juices and the roasted red peppers over each portion.
- Transfer a serving of potatoes to each plate and drizzle with the brava sauce. Serve the remainder at the table.
- Add the salad and arrange the fried egg on top of the plate.
- At the table drizzle a little olive oil and red wine vinegar over the salad (you need less than you think.) Try the salsa brava on your salad if you're not a fan of oil and vinegar. Season the whole plate with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.
I know it seems like a lot of steps but remember we’re cooking an entire meal for two (or three) people. From start to finish, this takes me anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to prepare for 2 people if using a bagged salad. It depends on how efficient I am and whether or not I’m dodging a dog. The potatoes take the longest and if you’d rather use frozen fries you’ll still have a good meal and no oil to clean up. Start cooking the steak about 10 minutes before the fries are ready
Although I usually cook my eggs in butter, I do sometimes use olive oil (maybe 2 or 3 times out of 10). It’s good! Anyway, this is a fun — and tasty! — post. Great read — thanks.
One of our Spanish friends (who seems to delight in explaining why my Spanish recipes aren’t really Spanish) is horrified at the idea of cooking eggs in butter. I can go either way, but prefer butter. It depends on who’s cooking the eggs in our house. 🙂