Pan con Chicharrón
Peruvian pan con chicharrón: pork belly simmered in spiced water, then fried until the skin crackles, stacked in a crusty roll with fried sweet potato and salsa criolla.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 1 h 30 min
- total
- 1 h 55 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Pan con chicharrón is a Lima breakfast sandwich: a crusty roll (pan francés) filled with pork that has been cooked until the skin crackles, a few slices of fried sweet potato (camote) and a pile of salsa criolla. Peruvian chicharrón is fried pieces of pork, usually belly, not the puffed pork rinds sold in bags in the US.
The pork is cooked in two stages. First it simmers in lightly spiced water until tender, then the water cooks off and the meat fries in its own rendered fat. The simmer makes it tender and the fry makes it crisp, and skipping either one gives you tough or greasy pork. The salsa criolla, red onion with lime juice, chile and cilantro, is what keeps the sandwich from feeling heavy.
Pan con Chicharrón is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.
method
Make the salsa criolla first. Soak the sliced onions in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Toss with the lime juice, chile, cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and let it stand at least 15 minutes while you cook the pork.
Put the pork belly strips in a wide heavy pot or Dutch oven with the water, 2 teaspoons salt, cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. The water should come about halfway up the meat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, turning the strips once or twice, until a knife slides into the meat easily and nearly all the water has cooked off. Fish out the cinnamon, cloves and star anise. The pork will now be sitting in its own rendered fat.
Raise the heat to medium and fry the pork in that fat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning often, until every side is deep golden and the skin has blistered and crackled. If the pot is dry, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Lift out onto a rack and rest for 5 minutes. Stand back, because the fat spits.
While the pork rests, heat the 4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the sweet potato slices in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned at the edges and tender when pierced with a knife. Salt lightly and drain on paper towels.
Warm the split rolls in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 3 minutes so the crust is crisp. Cut the pork into slabs about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick, keeping the skin on each piece.
Build the sandwiches: a layer of sweet potato slices on the bottom of each roll, then 3 or 4 slabs of pork, then a generous pile of salsa criolla. Close the roll and eat right away while the crust is still crackling.
chef's tips
- Do not skip the simmer. Pork belly fried from raw stays tough at the center by the time the skin is brown.
- You can simmer the pork up to a day ahead. Chill it, then fry the strips in a hot pan when you are ready to eat.
- Rinse the sliced onions in cold water before dressing them. It takes the harsh edge off and keeps them crunchy.
- Cook the pork to an internal temperature of at least 71°C (160°F) if you are checking with a thermometer, though the simmer will take it well past that.