Pintxo Vasco de Solomillo a la Plancha

Pintxo Vasco de solomillo a la plancha belongs to the Basque bar counter: a small piece of beef, seared hot, set on bread with a fried green pepper and coarse salt. That is the dish. Not a pile of sauces, not a decoration project. The bread catches the juices, the pepper gives its green bitterness, and the salt wakes the meat up.

The method that decides it is the heat. The plancha, or a heavy skillet if that's what you have, must be properly hot before the beef touches it. Solomillo is tender and lean, so it wants a hard sear and little time. Cook it too gently and it sweats. Cook it too long and you paid for tenderness only to chew through it.

In Spain, solomillo means beef tenderloin. If you're far from a Basque market, use filet mignon, or a very tender top sirloin or strip steak cut into small thick pieces. The sirloin will have more chew, so slice it against the grain after resting. No hace falta haber pisado España. With good beef, green peppers, bread, and a hot pan, it comes out. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.