Located in the border with Paraguay, and filled with jungles, woodlands and savannas, Formosa is the most inscrutable province of Argentina. It was originally inhabited by semi-nomadic indigenous people who lived through hunting, fishing and gathering, and was only conquered and colonized in the late 19th and early 20th century. Only recently has its population surpassed half a million people.

The cuisine of Formosa is similar to that of other provinces in the Paran´ coastline. Fish dishes, such as roasted surubí (an enormous catfish) and fish chupín (stew), are popular, as you can imagine given the geography of the state. So are Guaraní dishes like sopa paraguaya, a type of cheesy corn cake, and varieties of chipá, cheese bread. I will explore some of these dishes as I visit other provinces. Of course, more regular Argentine dishes such as beef stew and pastas are also eaten in Formosa.

For my quick sojourn into the cuisine of Formosa, I made:

Alito de Carne

Gratinated Steak Sandwich

An "alito" is a sandwich invented in the 1980's by Formosan sandwich maker Alito Elordi in his Hamburguesería Manolo in the city of Formosa. The sandwich became very popular, and it's now sold by bakeries and burger joints in adjoining states. Somehow the sandwich took his name.

Elordi took a simple sandwich triple de miga, an Argentine tea sandwich consisting of very thin white bread, sliced cheese and ham, and turned it into a lunch entree by adding a steak or a chicken filet, covering the whole thing with creamy Mozarella and baking it until the cheese browns. This is really one of those instances where the whole is better than its parts. It was a delicious, if filling, lunch.

The sandwich has continued evolving since Mr. Elordi created it, and other Argentine chefs have added grilled onions and fried eggs - Argentines love putting fried eggs on everything. Some chefs are even using milanesas instead of pan grilled meats, and why not?

The bread needed to make a real alito is not easily available in the States (you can buy it through specialized stores but only in large quantities), but fortunately the flavors of the ingredients are strong enough that not having the exact bread matters less than for other sandwiches de miga. If you do get some pan de miga, just follow the instructions and make a single huge sandwich instead of four, and then cut it into fourth after baking.

The beef is usually a small tenderloin - however, I doubt many people can afford that nowadays, so another thinly-cut tender steak cut should work. I used sirloin flap myself, as it was on sale, but I wouldn't recommend it as it was pretty tough (though it softened up after baked in the sandwich). I also didn't like the flavor - though again, this became a non issue when mixed with the other ingredients. Next time, however, I'll use thinly-cut top round or even tri-tip or sirloin cap. I didn't bother making the optional onions, but I did make fried eggs for my husband sandwich(es), and he really enjoyed having them. He made sure to ask for one when I made him his second sandwich the following day.

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Steak "Alitos" For 4 sandwiches Ingredients 1 lb thinly cut beef tenderloin, top sirloin or top round butter or oil 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced salt to taste 1 onion, sliced (optional) 12 white bread slices, sandwich or thin cut 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp milk 4-8 slices Muenster or Havarti cheese 4 lettuce leaves, cleaned 4-8 slices deli ham 1 tomato, sliced 4 fried eggs (optional) 12 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced 2 tsp dried oregano. Directions If your steaks are not sandwich-thin, tenderize them using a mallet or meat tenderizer. Heat a thin layer of butter or oil over medium-high in a grilling or sauté pan. Add the garlic slices. Once the butter is melted, add the steaks and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes per side. Season with salt and set aside. Optionally, heat another thin layer of butter or oil in the pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F Working with 3 bread slices a the time, cut off the crust. Pile them back together. Using a rolling pin or grill weight press, press them until they become thinner. Repeat with the rest of the bread. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and the milk together. Place 3 bread slices on a working surface. Spread one side with a generous layer of the mayonnaise mix. Place one steak on the first bread layer. Top with optional browned onions. Cover with Muenster cheese slices, followed by the lettuce leaves. Place another bread layer on top, mayo side down. Spread more mayo on top of this bread layer. Add a layer of tomato slices. Cover with deli ham. Add the fried eggs, if using. Place the remaining bread layer, mayo side down on top of the lettuce/egg. Cover with the sliced Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with oregano. Transfer the sandwich to a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the bread, making 3 more sandwiches. Bake until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Adapted from several recipes

Related cuisines I've explored so far: Argentine, Guaraní

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