Cachopo

Step 1: Season 4 veal topside steaks on both sides with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Lay two steaks on a board and cover each with half of 2 ⅞ oz serrano ham and half of 3 ½ oz semi-cured melting cheese, leaving a 1 cm border.

Step 2: Top with the remaining two steaks and press the edges together firmly. A common mistake is overfilling: cheese that reaches the edges bursts out in the oil.

Step 3: Dust each cachopo all over with 1 ¾ oz plain flour, dip it in 2 eggs, then press it into 3 ½ oz fine dry breadcrumbs, patting the crumb onto the edges. Chill on a plate, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Heat 1 ¾ cups olive or sunflower oil in a large frying pan to about 350°F, until a breadcrumb fizzes and turns golden in 30 seconds. Fry one cachopo at a time for 3–4 minutes a side, carefully turning with two spatulas, until deep golden and crisp.

Step 5: Drain briefly on kitchen paper. The cheese should be fully melted and the meat cooked through with no pink juices; if the crumb browns before that, finish in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Cut each cachopo in half and serve at once with lemon wedges, chips and peppers.