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The Sandwich 100 · make it at home

Pan con chicharrón (Lima breakfast sandwich)

2 1/2 hr (20 min hands-on) · 4 sandwiches

Lima's Sunday breakfast: pork shoulder simmered then fried in its own fat until crisp at the edges, with fried sweet potato and salsa criolla (lime-cured red onion) in a crusty roll.

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The real one

You need

• 800 g (1 3/4 lb) boneless pork shoulder or belly, cut into 5 cm (2 in) chunks
• 1 tsp salt, 4 cloves garlic, smashed, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano
• Water to cover
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced 5 mm (1/4 in) thick
• For the salsa criolla: 1 red onion, sliced paper thin, juice of 2 limes, 1 ají amarillo or 1/2 mild chili, seeded and slivered, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, salt
• 4 crusty rolls (pan francés or small ciabatta)
• Optional: ají amarillo mayonnaise

How to make it

1. Simmer (1 1/2 hr): Put the pork in a wide pot with the salt, garlic, cumin and oregano and add water just to cover. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until the water has evaporated and the pork is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Fry in its fat (20 min): Keep cooking over medium heat; the fat will render out and the pork will start frying in it. Turn the pieces until they are browned and crisp at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Lift out and slice.
3. Sweet potato (8 min): Fry the sweet potato slices in the pork fat (add oil if needed) until golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Salt them.
4. Salsa criolla (10 min): Rinse the sliced onion in cold salted water for 5 minutes, drain, then toss with the lime juice, chili, parsley and salt.
5. Build: Split the rolls, layer in sweet potato, plenty of pork and a big pinch of salsa criolla. Serve with coffee or a chicha morada.

Tips

• The water-then-fat method is how Lima does it; no deep fryer needed.
• Keep the rendered fat for frying eggs.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.