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Pan con chicharrón
Crisp pork sandwich
Pan con chicharrón: Lima's Sunday breakfast roll of slow-cooked crisp pork, fried sweet potato and salsa criolla
PeruvianSunday mornings in Lima mean a queue at the neighbourhood sanguchería or a stop at Barranco's old cafés for this: a crusty pan francés roll stuffed with chicharrón, pork that has been simmered in salted water until the water evaporates and then fried in its own fat, layered with slices of fried sweet potato and a crown of salsa criolla. The pork is crisp at the edges, juicy inside, the sweet potato sweet and soft, the onion sharp and cold. It comes with coffee or a hot drink. The usual mistake is frying the pork in extra oil from the start; the water has to boil off first so the meat renders and fries in its own fat, otherwise it stays pale and tough. Chef's tip: use pork belly mixed with shoulder for the right balance of crackle and meat.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicharrón
- 2 ¼ lb pork belly and shoulderskinless, cut into 4 cm pieces
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
For the sweet potato
- 2 sweet potatoesabout 500 g, peeled, cut into 1 cm slices
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the salsa criolla
- 2 red onionsvery thinly sliced
- 1 ají amarillo or mild yellow chillithinly sliced
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 6 crusty bread rollspan francés or small baguette rolls
- 6 tbsp ají sauce (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb pork belly and shoulder, 4 ¼ cups water, 2 tsp salt, 4 garlic cloves and 1 tsp ground cumin in a wide, heavy pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered over a medium heat, stirring now and then.
60 minStep 2: Keep cooking as the water evaporates and the pork starts to sizzle in its own fat. Turn the pieces often over a medium-low heat until deep golden and crisp at the edges and the meat is tender; it will be well above 160°F inside.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile, soak 2 red onions in iced water for 5 minutes, drain and mix with 1 ají amarillo or mild yellow chilli, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tbsp fresh coriander and ½ tsp salt.
5 minStep 4: Cook 2 sweet potatoes in boiling water until just tender, drain and pat dry.
8 minStep 5: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the sweet potato slices until golden on both sides.
7 minStep 6: Split 6 crusty bread rolls and warm them briefly in the oven. Fill each with sweet potato, a generous pile of chicharrón and salsa criolla, with 6 tbsp ají sauce if you like heat.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan con chicharrón take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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