Chili Fries Who? Chorrillana Is The Ultimate Loaded Fry Upgrade

While french fries may have humble origins, bar food wouldn't be what it is if it didn't include some version of loaded fries, one of the most beloved types of french fry dishes worldwide. Southern California has carne asada fries, and Australia has fries topped with chicken parmigiana, but how many can claim an entire holiday in their honor? Enter chorrillana, a Chilean barroom staple that blows run-of-the-mill loaded fries out of the water and is celebrated each year on August 13 by bistros and dive bars alike.

The history of chorrillana is much debated. One common theory is that the dish originated in the Battle of the Chorrillos, a conflict in the Pacific War between Chile and a Peruvian-Bolivian alliance in 1881, as a result of necessity and limited provisions. Another is that it was invented in 1970 in the casino Social J. Cruz M. as a cheap snack to keep patrons full and happy as they drank. It's generally agreed that the dish originated in Valparaiso, a large coastal city neighboring Santiago.

While the toppings are customizable, chorrillana is generally served as a large, shareable plate of fries covered in marinated beef, fried eggs, and caramelized onions. The steak marinade and the onions add a touch of sweetness that perfectly accents the rich, savory fried food. Chorizo, cooked in a sweet Peruvian sauce, and cheese are common additions to the dish.

While making the individual ingredients of chorrillana is relatively straightforward, the tricky — and messy — part of whipping this up at home is how to plate it while keeping everything as hot and crispy as possible. Between potatoes frying, meat and onions sizzling, and eggs cooking, there are a lot of moving parts to this simple-seeming dish.

Start by choosing your steak. While you might normally choose one of the best cuts of steak, this is a great way to use a cheaper steak that can hold up to the marinade, like top round or sirloin tip. The marinade consists of garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and white wine vinegar, and should soak into the steak for at least an hour but up to two days.

The key to keeping the dish as crispy as if it were just served in a Valparaiso pub is to double-fry the french fries. This will allow them to absorb the juice of the steak and onions without wilting and will give more cooking time to finish the onions and eggs while the potatoes fry. For the eggs, sunny side up is the most common preparation, but scrambled eggs are a popular variation as well.