Chivito Sandwich

Name: Chivito Sandwich
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 large brioche burger buns; 4 yellow onions, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 thin sirloin steaks (4 oz each); 1 clove garlic, halved; 8 rashers thick-cut bacon; 8 slices ham, thin-sliced; 8 slices fresh mozzarella, sliced; 2 ripe tomato, sliced; 4 leaves butter lettuce; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 4 tbsp chimichurri sauce, homemade or jarred; 1 tbsp olive oil

From the kitchen of Carly

Uruguay's national sandwich. Steak, ham, mozzarella, bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and a heap of caramelized onion on a toasted brioche bun. Engineered for the kind of dinner where one is enough. Make the caramelized onions ahead. Twenty-five minutes is the floor; rushed onions are the chivito killer.

A chivito is Uruguay's answer to "what if we just kept stacking?" Thin seared steak, a runny fried egg, caramelized onions, ham, bacon, and mozzarella all crammed onto brioche, then drizzled with chimichurri. It's excessive and unapologetic. The magic happens in the layering and the timing, which means caramelizing your onions first isn't just advice, it's the whole game.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

4 largebrioche burger buns
4yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tbspunsalted butter
4thin sirloin steaks (4 oz each)
1 clovegarlic, halved
8 rashersthick-cut bacon
8 slicesham, thin-sliced
8 slicesfresh mozzarella, sliced
2ripe tomato, sliced
4 leavesbutter lettuce
4large eggs
2 tbspDijon mustard
4 tbspchimichurri sauce, homemade or jarred
1 tbspolive oil

Instructions

Caramelize the onions first; they take the longest. Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium-low. Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deeply golden and jammy. Set aside.
Cook the bacon in a separate skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
While the bacon cooks, rub the steaks all over with the cut sides of the halved garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a hot skillet or grill pan. Sear the steaks 90 seconds per side for medium-rare. Move to a cutting board, tent with foil to keep warm.
Fry the eggs in the same pan: crack each into the residual fat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, sunny-side up, with crisp edges and a runny yolk.
Toast the cut sides of the buns in a dry pan or under the broiler for 30 seconds.
Build each chivito: bottom bun, smear of Dijon, butter lettuce leaf, slice of steak, slice of ham, 2 slices of mozzarella (let the residual heat from the meat melt them), 2 strips of bacon, slice of tomato, generous spoonful of caramelized onion, fried egg on top.
Drizzle chimichurri over the egg. Add the bun lid. Press down gently. Eat over a plate; this is not a tidy sandwich.
Serve with extra chimichurri and any remaining caramelized onion on the side.

Tips from the kitchen

Caramelize the onions low and slow (25 to 30 minutes), stirring every few minutes. They should be deep golden and jammy, not burnt. This cannot be rushed and it changes everything.
Sear your steaks hot and quick, 90 seconds per side, then let them rest while you fry the eggs. The residual fat in the pan is your cooking medium for those eggs, so don't wipe it out.
Toast your bun cut sides in a dry pan or under the broiler just until they're lightly golden. It keeps them from getting soggy under the weight of all those toppings and hot filling.
Build your sandwich in the order listed: the steak should hit the warm bun first so the residual heat starts melting the mozzarella. The egg goes last, on top, so the yolk breaks when you bite into it.

Variations

Crispy fried onions on top instead of caramelized. You lose the jammy sweetness but gain a crunchy textural play against the soft yolk.
Skip the mozzarella and add a thick slice of provolone or cheddar instead. Different melt, same richness.
Use a fried egg with a set yolk if runny eggs aren't your thing, but know that you're losing the whole point of having that richness pooling through the sandwich.

Make ahead and storage

These are best eaten immediately after assembly while the egg yolk is still runny and everything is warm. Leftovers (if there are any) keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but reheating will firm up the yolk and make the sandwich less of an event.

Substitutions

thin sirloin to skirt steak, flank, or ribeye. Skirt and flank are traditional in South America. Whatever you use, slice across the grain and keep it thin.
brioche bun to kaiser roll, ciabatta, or toasted English muffin. Kaiser is the most authentic substitute. The bun needs structure to hold the load.
chimichurri to homemade: parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes. Blend a handful of parsley, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp pepper flakes. Salt to taste.

Pairs well with: Crispy fries or a side of chimichurri-roasted potatoes, A glass of malbec or a cold lager, A simple cabbage and red onion slaw