Pan con Chicharrón
Pan con Chicharrón·(pahn kohn chee-chah-rohn)
El Lonche (The Evening Bridge)
If there is one aroma that transports a Peruvian kid straight back to a Sunday morning in Lima, it is pork fat rendering down with garlic, mint, and ají panca. The real grandmother's trick to this sandwich is patience. You do not just fry the pork belly; you boil it into submission first, letting the spiced water evaporate until the meat fries perfectly in its own rendered fat. To make this masterpiece work on a busy Tuesday in Ohio, boil the pork over the weekend. Come dinnertime, you just need a hot skillet, some crusty bread, and fifteen minutes to build the undisputed king of Peruvian sandwiches.
Before you start
Boil the pork ahead of time to make this a fifteen-minute weeknight meal.
Execute the boiling step on a Sunday. Once the water evaporates, pull the tender pork out, store it in the fridge, and save the rendered fat. On Tuesday night, simply fry the chilled slices in that fat to crisp them up.
Ingredients
- pork belly2 lb
- water3 cup
- garlic cloves3 med
- ají panca paste1 tbsp
- achiote powder1/2 tsp
- fresh mint1 sprig
- salt1 tsp
- whole black peppercorns1/2 tsp
- lard or neutral oil2 tbsp
- orange sweet potatoes2 med
- red onion1 large
- ají limo or jalapeño1 med
- limes2 large
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
- salt1 pinch
- crusty Kaiser rolls or ciabatta buns4 large
Method
- 01
Submerge the sliced red onions in a bowl of ice-cold, heavily salted water.
This is a non-negotiable Peruvian secret. The cold saltwater strips away the harsh sulfurous bite, leaving the onion crisp, sweet, and perfectly primed to absorb the lime juice later. Soak for at least 15 minutes, then drain well.
- 02
Combine the pork belly, water, garlic, ají panca, achiote, mint, salt, and peppercorns in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, drop the heat to a steady simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 45 to 50 minutes. The goal is twofold: tenderize the tough pork belly and evaporate the water completely.
- 03
Once the water evaporates and the pork begins to sizzle in its own fat, add the lard and fry the chunks.
Turn occasionally until they develop a deep, mahogany-brown crust on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon, let it rest on a paper towel, and slice thickly.
- 04
Fry the sweet potato rounds in a separate skillet using a shallow layer of hot oil or the rendered pork fat.
Cook over medium heat until deeply caramelized on the edges and fork-tender in the center. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt.
- 05
Toss the drained, rinsed red onions vigorously with the minced chili, lime juice, cilantro, and a generous pinch of salt.
The acid will instantly begin to gently cook the onions, turning them a vibrant, beautiful pink.
- 06
Build the sandwiches from the bottom up on the toasted rolls.
Lay down a generous, overlapping layer of warm sweet potatoes, followed by a heavy hand of the crispy pork belly. Cap it off with a towering mound of the bright, acidic salsa criolla right on top of the fat before closing the bun.
Notes
Do not stress if you cannot find traditional pan francés peruano.
High-quality ciabatta or crusty Kaiser rolls are the best structural substitutes available in a standard American grocery store, as they hold the dense meat and wet salsa without disintegrating.
From Cook Peruvian in America.