Chile takes its sandwiches almost as seriously as its hot dogs, and the chacarero is the one that lunch counters are proudest of. Thin slices of beef, cooked fast on a hot griddle in the style Chileans call churrasco, are stacked into a round, crusty roll with ripe tomato, green beans and slices of ají verde, a mild green chili, usually with a smear of mayonnaise. It is a fixture of the fuentes de soda, the country's cheerful, no frills diners that serve fried food alongside draft beer, and in 2014 Time magazine counted it among the most remarkable sandwiches in the world.

The name comes from the chacra, a small farm plot, and a chacarero is the person who works one, which may explain why a sandwich this size contains a full serving of vegetables. The green beans are the surprise and the point: blanched until just tender, sliced thin and still bright, they bring a fresh crunch that cuts through the beef. It is quick to make, impossible to eat neatly, and very well suited to a race lunch eaten from a plate on the knee.

The green beans

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) green beans
• 1 tablespoon salt

Method

1. Fill the saucepan two thirds full of water, add the salt and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. While it heats, fill the large bowl with cold water and plenty of ice.
2. Drop in the beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Lift one out, cool it under the tap and bite it.
3. Drain the beans in the colander and tip them straight into the ice water. Leave them for 2 minutes, then drain again and dry them well on a towel.
4. Cut each bean in half lengthwise, or slice it on a long diagonal into thin strips, so they lie flat in the sandwich.

The beef

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) beef sirloin or top round
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

Method

1. Lay a few slices of beef between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them firmly with the mallet or rolling pin, working from the center outward, until they are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Repeat with the rest.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the beef with salt and pepper just before cooking.
3. Heat the skillet over high heat for 2 minutes, then add the oil. Lay in as many slices as fit in one layer without overlapping and cook for 45 to 60 seconds, turn with tongs and cook 30 seconds more. Move them to a plate and repeat with the rest, adding a drop more oil if the pan looks dry.

Building the sandwich

Ingredients

• 4 crusty white rolls
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 to 4 ají verde or other mild green chilies
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
• 1 pinch fine salt

Method

1. Wipe out the hot skillet, turn the heat to medium and lay the rolls in cut side down. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes, pressing them down lightly with the tongs.
2. Spread mayonnaise on the cut side of each top half. On each bottom half, pile a quarter of the beef with any juices from the plate, then a generous layer of green beans, then tomato slices sprinkled with a pinch of salt, then chili rings to taste.
3. Put the top halves on and press down firmly with the flat of your hand so the layers settle and the juices soak a little into the bread. Cut in half if you like and serve at once.

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