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Chifrijo
Chifrijo: San José's bar bowl of rice, beans, crisp pork and pico de gallo
Chifrijo was born in a San José bar in the 1990s and is now on every Costa Rican cantina menu as the snack to share over a cold drink: a bowl layered with rice, saucy red beans, crunchy pork chicharrón, pico de gallo and avocado, with tortilla chips stuck in for scooping. The name joins chicharrón and frijoles. The pork is belly, simmered and then fried in its own fat until crisp. Soggy chips are the common mistake: add them at the very last moment, never before serving. Chef's tip: squeeze lime over the pork right before it goes on top; the acid cuts the richness and wakes up the beans.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicharrón
- 1 ⅛ lb pork bellyrind removed, in 2 cm cubes
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp saltdivided
For the beans
- 14 oz cooked red kidney beans1 tin, with half its liquid
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onionfinely chopped
- 1 clove garliccrushed
For the pico de gallo
- 2 tomatoesfinely diced
- ½ red onionfinely diced
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- 2 limesjuiced
To serve
- 14 oz cooked white ricehot
- 1 ripe avocadosliced
- 3 ½ oz corn tortilla chips
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb pork belly, 1 ¼ cups water and half the ½ tsp salt in a heavy frying pan. Simmer until the water evaporates, then fry in the rendered fat, stirring, until golden and crisp on all sides and 160°F inside. Drain on paper.
30 minStep 2: Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan, soften ½ onion and 1 clove garlic, then add 14 oz cooked red kidney beans and simmer until saucy but not dry.
10 minStep 3: Mix 2 tomatoes, ½ red onion, ½ oz fresh coriander, half the 1 limes juice and the rest of ½ tsp salt for the pico de gallo.
Step 4: Divide 14 oz cooked white rice between bowls, spoon beans over, then pico de gallo and the pork. Squeeze the rest of 1 limes over the pork.
Step 5: Top with 1 ripe avocado and stand 3 ½ oz corn tortilla chips around the edge. Serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chifrijo take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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