Equipment
Ingredients
Meat & Dairy
- 300 g beef tenderloin, sliced into 2 portions
- 60 g pancetta, thinly sliced
- 40 g cooked ham, sliced
- 60 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened
Produce & Pantry
- 2 eggs
- 2 kaiser rolls
- 30 g mayonnaise
- 120 g tomato, sliced
- 40 g iceberg lettuce, shredded or whole leaves
- 20 g green olives, pitted and sliced
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 915 kcal
- Protein
- 64 g
- Carbohydrates
- 51 g
- Fat
- 51 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1633 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 331 mg
- Potassium
- 1030 mg
- Calcium
- 288 mg
- Iron
- 7.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 66 mg
- Phosphorus
- 620 mg
- Zinc
- 5.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 208 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 32 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 3.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.24 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.54 mg
- Niacin
- 6.8 mg
- Folate
- 34 mcg
- Water
- 205 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place beef slices between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, gently pound the steaks until they are uniform and about 5 millimeters thick. Season both sides with salt and black pepper. Wash your hands and sanitize your cutting board thoroughly after handling the raw meat.
Place the sliced pancetta in a cold cast iron skillet, then place over medium heat. Fry until the fat renders and the pancetta becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
Increase the skillet heat to medium-high. Add the pounded beef steaks and sear for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side until browned. Flip the steaks. For safe consumption, ensure the internal temperature of the beef reaches at least 63C or 145F.
Immediately after flipping the steaks, lay a slice of cooked ham and a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each steak. Cover the skillet briefly or loosely tent with foil to melt the cheese during the final minute of cooking. Transfer the stacked meat to a plate to rest.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Crack the eggs into the remaining fat in the skillet. Fry until the whites are completely set. Cook the yolks to your preference, keeping in mind that fully cooked yolks are recommended for vulnerable populations.
Split the kaiser rolls and spread the softened butter lightly over the cut sides. Toast them cut-side down in the hot skillet for 1 minute until golden and crispy.
Spread mayonnaise generously on the toasted surfaces of both top and bottom buns. Layer the bottom buns with lettuce and tomato slices. Add the steak, ham, and melted cheese stack. Top with crispy pancetta, the fried egg, and green olive slices. Finish with the top bun, pressing down slightly to secure the ingredients.
Chef's Notes
- Pounding the steak is the non-negotiable secret to an excellent Chivito. The thinness ensures you can easily bite through all layers without pulling the entire piece of meat out.
- Do not skimp on the mayonnaise; it binds with the meat juices and warm egg yolk to create a distinct, savory sauce unique to this sandwich.
- For an authentic Uruguayan variation, include slices of roasted red bell pepper or thinly shaved hearts of palm on top of the cheese.
- Toasting the inside of the roll provides crucial structural integrity, preventing the soft bread from disintegrating under the weight and moisture of the toppings.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store components separately; the assembled sandwich will become soggy.
Reheating: Reheat the steak, ham, and pancetta in a skillet over medium heat. Toast a fresh bun and fry a fresh egg for best results.
Troubleshooting
The sandwich slides apart or is difficult to bite cleanly
Cause: The steak was too thick or the bread was not toasted sufficiently to hold its structure
Fix: Secure the sandwich with a long wooden skewer down the center or cut in half to make it more manageable
Prevention: Aggressively pound the steak to a maximum of 5mm thickness and toast the bread deeply to create a structural barrier against moisture
Bottom bun becomes soggy quickly
Cause: Too much juice from the tomato or resting meat pooling onto the bread
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Pat tomatoes lightly with a paper towel and ensure the mayonnaise creates a protective fat barrier on the bread
Cultural Context
The Chivito is the undisputed king of Uruguayan street food and its national sandwich. It was famously invented by chance in 1946 in Punta del Este when a patron requested goat meat (chivito), and the chef, lacking goat, created a massive sandwich using thinly pounded beef steak instead. The sandwich perfectly encapsulates Uruguay's exceptional cattle-ranching heritage and deep European culinary roots.
