Tacu Tacu: Peruvian Beef & Potato Cake
Crispy pan-fried potato and beef patty with a spiced tomato sauce — a beloved Peruvian street food that transforms leftover rice and steak into something irresistible.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- 1 lb russet potatoes
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 cloves garlic cloves
- ¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Scrub the potatoes under cold running water to remove dirt, then cut them in half lengthwise. Place them cut-side down on a cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons.
- 2
Fill a medium pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat until you see large rolling bubbles breaking the surface, about 8 minutes.
- 3
Add the potato slices to the boiling water and cook, stirring once every minute, until a fork slides through the thickest piece with no resistance, about 12 minutes.
- 4
Drain the potatoes in a colander and spread them on a paper towel to cool and dry, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Cut the onion from root to tip into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then chop them into pieces roughly the size of a pea.
- 6
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about pencil-tip-dot size.
- 7
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 45 seconds.
- 8
Add the diced onion and cook, stirring once every 15 seconds, until it turns translucent and smells sweet, about 3 minutes.
- 9
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the smell becomes strong and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- 10
Stir in the cumin, then pour in 3/4 cup of crushed tomatoes and stir until everything is evenly mixed.
- 11
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring once every minute, until the sauce darkens and thickens to the consistency of ketchup, about 8 minutes.
- 12
Season the sauce with salt and pepper by adding a small pinch of each, stirring, tasting, and repeating until it tastes balanced to you.
- 13
Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and set aside on the counter.
- 14
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly.
- 15
Crumble the ground beef directly into the hot oil, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon into pea-sized pieces as it cooks, stirring once every 20 seconds until no pink remains, about 6 minutes.
- 16
Add the cooked potato slices to the beef and stir gently to mix, pressing down occasionally with the back of your spoon to help potatoes and beef stick together, about 2 minutes.
- 17
Without stirring, press the mixture firmly against the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to form one large flat cake, then let it cook undisturbed over medium-high heat until the underside turns golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- 18
Slide the tacu tacu onto a cutting board, then slide it back into the skillet with the golden side facing up and cook undisturbed until the second side is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- 19
Slide the tacu tacu onto a serving plate and top with the reserved tomato sauce, spooning it over the center and letting it run down the sides.
Tools you’ll need
- colander
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- medium pot
- 10-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- small bowl
- paper towels
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