The Chivito!
- By Chuck
- March 16, 2015
- No Comments
7019- Ahh, the Chivito…the informal national sandwich of Uruguay. The Chivito is served all over the country in various versions and is probably the most popular snack in all Uruguay but all of the restaurants have their own way of making one. We went to Marco’s in Montevideo, which is purported to serve the best Chivito in all of Uruguay, last week to try one of theirs and I thought I would share my thoughts. I have had numerous Chivitos in my time here and have always heard that Marco’s makes the very best one. The story is that Marco started as an 11 year old boy selling Chivitos on the beach in Montevideo and he has now progressed to two brick and mortar restaurants along the rambla by the beach. You need to understand that this is a major player in the sandwich world and is not to be taken lightly.
They start with a freshly baked Portuguese roll sliced in half. First, a salsa called Chimichurri is spread on the bottom and top of the buns, this is a mayonnaise based spread that usually includes some ketchup, garlic and fresh herbs. The bottom bun is then topped with lettuce and tomatoes. Next comes thin slices of either filet or rib eye steak that have been grilled and a scoop of Russian salad that is made with potatoes, mayonnaise, carrots, peas, tuna, onion, parsley, beets and a boiled egg. On top of the Russian salad, they add grilled onions, peperoncini’s, pickled jalapenos, roasted red peppers, a black olive tapenade and sliced green olives. Just when you think you can’t get you mouth around anything else, they add a fried egg, bacon, pickles, another dollop of the Chimichurri salsa as well as as grilled ham and slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese. That, along with the top bun, is placed in an oven and toasted.. It is all held together with a long tooth pick with additional green olives and the sandwich is usually served on a bed of french fries. As you gaze at the final product in front of you, you can almost feel your arteries clogging up but you proceed anyway for the first bite … and it is heaven. It is amazing that so many diverse and different flavors can meld in to symphony of flavor. And now for the siesta…
