When you dip a steak in flour, egg and bread crumbs and fry it, that’s chicken fried steak. In the US, it’s associated with Southern cuisine but the fact is lots of food cultures bread and fry beef, chicken and pork for various dishes. You probably know them as milanesa, schnitzel or cutlets. Today I’m going to share a regional favorite from Asturias, in the North of Spain, called cachopos.
Cachopos are a Spanish favorite, with regional variations
If you order a cachopo in a restaurant you will be served a large portion that will easily feed several people. They’re great for sharing.
I remember the first time I had one. We were visiting a friend in Andalucia who raved about the cachopos in one of his favorite restaurants. It was summertime and we were eating very late due to the heat of the day. The waiter brought us a large, pizza sized platter covered with slab of meat along with a separate plate loaded with fries and a third with roasted red peppers.
Did I mention it was huge? By the time we finished the three of us were stuffed and it was close to midnight! I’m told, however, that lots of folks can eat an entire cachopo. More power to them!
It can be difficult to find such large cuts of meat unless you have access to a butcher. However, you can make individual sized portions of cachopo with steak and pork filets you can find in just about any grocery store.
There are traditional fillings, but feel free to experiment
The basic idea behind a cachopo is this: pound two pieces of meat very thin, assemble the cachopo, secure any loose bits, bread and fry the meat. There are some traditional fillings but don’t feel bound to them. For example…
- beef, cecina (dried beef), swiss cheese
- pork, jamon (cured ham), soft goat’s cheese
- pork, sliced brie, roasted red peppers
- beef, caramelized onions, white cheddar
- beef, mushrooms, roquefort or other blue cheese
- pork, cooked bacon, herbed cream cheese
As you can see there’s lots of ways to make them, so don’t be afraid to substitute and experiment. There are also cachopos made from chicken and fish, although they tend to be called something else.
I’ve tried several varieties. My favorites are made with beef filled with a dried beef product called cecina and cheese made from a mix of sheep and cow’s milk. Sliced emmental or gouda would be a good substitute for the cheese. If you can’t find cecina or jamon, prosciutto will work just as well.
How to make Spanish style chicken fried steak
Once you’ve decided which filling to use, it’s time to prep the meat. Trim any fat and pound or roll the meat thinly, so it will cook quickly. Then add your chosen fillings. Top with another piece of meat and press firmly or use toothpicks to hold everything together.
Set up a breading station with seasoned flour, egg and bread crumbs and prepare the cachopos for frying. At this point the cachopos can be stored in the fridge until ready to cook. Once fried golden brown, the meat should be cooked through and the cheese melted to perfection.
To serve, slice the cachopos into strips, add fries and your favorite dipping sauce for a treat everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 8 boneless beef filets, sliced or pounded thinly (between a pound and a pound and a half)
- 4 slices of emmental or swiss cheese
- 4 slices dried beef (or other filling of your choice)
- 1 cup flour, seasoned to taste with salt, pepper and paprika
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Trim the visible fat from the meat and either pound or use a rolling pin to make the filets about 1/2 inch thick.
- Arrange a single filet on your work surface. Add the fillings, trimming to fit as necessary. Top with another filet. Press together and/or secure with toothpicks. Repeat for the remaining filets.
- Dip each cachopo in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Arrange on a tray and let stand for 15 minutes or longer before frying. (At this point the cachopos can be stored in the fridge until time to cook.)
- Heat about half an inch of oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Heat until shimmering (about 350°F/180°C). Place one or two cachopos in the pan so they're not crowded. Fry them for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the breading is golden brown and the meat has been cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper before serving.
Notes
Have you had cachopos or something similar? Tell me about it in the comments below!
More delicious recipes from Spain
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