Dear LPG,

When I found out that one of Uruguay’s national dishes was a sandwich, albeit a very nice sandwich, I thought this would be an easy task and the picture of what I was supposed to produce looked very appetising to say the least. 

I must start by saying that I have always been a little frightened of cooking beef.  I have never got it quite right and you could say that beef and I are a pretty tough combination, but having adhered to the timings my tasters told me that I got that bit right. I have often heard of the technique of beating beef and that it is a satisfying pastime, but I have never tried it before. But this pretty ignorant cook can confidently confirm that it really does work. The recipe told me they do it and I really gave the steak what for.

Having looked at the picture I realised that I was going to need some pretty big buns and I nearly manage to stack all the bits on top of each other but then it happened, that ‘All fall down’ moment.  It all fell apart, but it did taste as fantastic as promised when my taste testers closed their eyes.

I thought it would be nice to put Bulgaria on my culinary map in September and my plan is something which will suit all the vegetarians out there as I try to make the 22nd, their national independence day, the one where I discover the secrets of making something a little more complicated than of late, one of their national dishes, Banitsa.  I have left the recipe below for anyone who wants to have a go with me, but in the meantime I suggest a serious Uruguayan delight.    

Just in case you fancy having a Bulgarian go with CB she has left a few variations on the recipe she plans to attempt next month…

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