Pork dishes
Pan con chicharrón with sweet potato and salsa criolla
AI-generated serving image
This image was created with the help of artificial intelligence and serves as visual inspiration or a serving suggestion. The actual result may vary depending on the ingredients, quantities and preparation used.
Juicy pork belly is soaked in a simple brine, simmered until tender and then fried until crisp. With sweet potato slices and tangy red onions it makes a generous Peruvian breakfast roll.
Timing
- Active preparation: about 30 minutes; refrigerated brining: 4 hours
- Simmering: about 75 minutes; draining and drying: about 20 minutes
- Frying: about 30 minutes; resting: 5 minutes; total time: about 6 hours 40 minutes
Estimated nutrition
per serving · Calculated for 4 servings.
- Energy
- ≈ 1100 kcal
- Protein
- ≈ 45.8 g
- Carbohydrates
- ≈ 71 g
- Fat
- ≈ 68.3 g
The nutrition values are estimates based on the ingredients and quantities used. Actual values may vary depending on the product, portion size and preparation.
Calculation basis
Item weights and household measures are estimated. Unless specified: milk with 1.5% fat, cream with 30% fat and Gouda cheese. Optional ingredients, small amounts of seasoning and separately listed side dishes are excluded. For imprecise entries, the amounts below and comparable reference products are assumed. For alternatives, the first listed ingredient is used. Cooking losses have not been measured.
Pork belly is weighed raw without bones and sweet potatoes peeled. Brine, cooking liquid and removed aromatics are excluded; unmeasured salt uptake is not quantified as sodium. Cooking fat loss is not arbitrarily deducted; an additional 40 g absorbed oil is assumed for pork and sweet potatoes together. Mint uses a parsley comparison.
Quantity assumptions and ingredient mapping
- 800 g boneless skinless pork belly · ≈ 800.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 400 g peeled sweet potatoes · ≈ 400.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 160 g red onion · ≈ 160.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 40 ml lime juice · ≈ 40.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 5 g ají limo or fresh chilli · ≈ 5.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 5 g fresh mint · ≈ 5.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 4 crusty rolls, 320 g total · ≈ 320.0 g · Assumed quantity / reference product
- 800 ml neutral vegetable oil for frying, only partly absorbed · ≈ 40.0 g
Matvaretabellen: Mattilsynet · Santa Maria
Food data: Max Rubner-Institut, BLS 4.0 (2025), CC BY 4.0. Calculated and rounded for this recipe. BLS 4.0 · CC BY 4.0
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless skinless pork belly
- 1500 ml cold water for brine, discarded
- 45 g salt for brine, only partly absorbed
- 1500 ml fresh water for cooking, discarded
- 12 g garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns
- 400 g peeled sweet potatoes
- 160 g red onion
- 40 ml lime juice
- 5 g ají limo or fresh chilli
- 5 g fresh mint
- 2 g salt for the salsa
- 4 crusty rolls, 320 g total
- 800 ml neutral vegetable oil for frying, only partly absorbed
Instructions
- Dissolve 45 g salt completely in 1500 ml cold water. Cut pork belly into two thick pieces, cover fully with brine in a clean container and refrigerate covered for 4 hours at no more than 4°C. Discard brine afterwards. Do not wash raw meat under the tap.
- Bring meat to the boil in a saucepan with 1500 ml fresh water, crushed garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns. Simmer gently for about 60–75 minutes until tender and fully cooked, allowing longer if needed. Lift onto a rack to drain and surface-dry for about 20 minutes; pat the surface thoroughly dry. Discard liquid and aromatics.
- Meanwhile, cut sweet potatoes into roughly 5 mm slices and dry carefully. Slice onion very thinly, wash and chop mint and finely chop chilli. Mix onion with lime juice, chilli, mint and 2 g salt; refrigerate until serving.
- Heat oil to 165–170°C in a deep pan filled no more than halfway. Fry sweet potatoes in two batches for about 5 minutes each until tender and golden, then drain.
- Carefully lower thoroughly surface-dried meat into oil with long tongs, one piece at a time if necessary. Fry for about 8–10 minutes, turning carefully, until well browned all over. Keep your distance as fat may spit. Lift out, rest for 5 minutes and cut into thick slices.
- Split rolls. Divide meat and sweet potatoes among four rolls and add briefly drained salsa criolla. Serve warm immediately.
Tips
- The brine seasons the meat; it does not preserve it. Refrigeration and complete cooking are still necessary.
- Never put wet meat into hot oil. Do not fry until the surface has been thoroughly dried.
