Lomo a lo pobre
Lomo a lo pobre, bistec a lo pobre or bife a lo pobre is a dish from Chile and Perú. The common ingredients for both preparations are beef tenderloin (Spanish lomo) topped with one or more fried eggs and French fries. The ingredients that differentiate both dishes are fried onions, as it is served in Chile, and rice and fried plantains.[1][2] Unlike steak and eggs, lomo a lo pobre is eaten as a lunch or dinner.
 | |
| Course | Main (lunch) |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Chile, Perú |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Beef, eggs, french fries |
| Ingredients generally used | Fried onions, rice, fried plantains |
| Variations | Bistec a lo pobre, bife a lo pobre |
Etymology in Perú
There are several possible origins for the term "a lo pobre."
One is that it was named because of the irony of nineteenth-century Peruvian common folk eating similar dishes with an abundance of food and at a heavy price, despite their economic situation.
Alternatively, it may have originated due to the idea that poorer residents of Lima ate meat combined with carbohydrates, eggs, and rice, while higher-class individuals were associated with eating meat alone with a vegetable. Yet another possibility is that it is a derivation from "au Poivre" even though the preparations are quite different.
Today it is consumed in lower- and upper-class restaurants, and there is no negative connotation associated with the dish.
The term "a lo pobre" in Lima, Peru today may refer simply to the addition of a fried egg and is used in other dishes besides steak, such as grilled chicken breast (pechuga a lo pobre), rice (especially arroz chaufa), lomo saltado, salchipapas, or even hamburgers.
See also
References
- Bladholm, L. (2015). Latin & Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified. St. Martin's Press. p. pt233. ISBN 978-1-250-10851-7. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- Lonely Planet South America on a shoestring. Travel Guide. Lonely Planet Publications. 2016. p. pt1282. ISBN 978-1-78657-733-7. Retrieved January 12, 2017.