Pan con Chicharrón (Peruvian Pork & Sweet Potato Sandwiches)

Name: Pan con Chicharrón (Peruvian Pork & Sweet Potato Sandwiches)
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 1½ lb boneless pork shoulder, in 2-inch chunks; 1 small pack fresh mint; 1½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled; 6 crusty rolls; 1 red onion, very thinly sliced; 2 limes; 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced; ½ bunch cilantro, chopped; 3 tbsp oil; 2 tsp salt; 2 bay leaves; ½ tsp pepper

BreakfastPeruvian110 minServes 6675 kcal29 g protein

Lima's famous Sunday breakfast: pork simmered with mint until the water is gone, then fried golden in its own fat and piled into rolls with crispy sweet potato and tangy salsa criolla.

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Ingredients

1½ lb boneless pork shoulder, in 2-inch chunks
1 small pack fresh mint
1½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled
6 crusty rolls
1 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 limes
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
½ bunch cilantro, chopped

From your pantry: 3 tbsp oil, 2 tsp salt, 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp pepper.

Instructions

Put the pork in a wide pot with the salt, bay leaves and half the mint, and add water just to cover. Simmer, uncovered, until the water has completely evaporated and the pork is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Keep the heat at medium and let the pork fry in the fat left in the pot, turning, until browned and crisp on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Add 1 tbsp oil if the pan is dry.
While the pork cooks, rinse the onion slices, then toss them with the lime juice, jalapeño, cilantro and a pinch of salt to make salsa criolla.
Slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds and fry in 2 tbsp oil in batches over medium heat until golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Sprinkle with salt.
Split and warm the rolls. Layer sweet potato, then a generous pile of pork pulled into pieces, then the salsa criolla. Serve hot.

Tip: Pork belly is the classic cut and gives an even crispier result. You can simmer the pork the night before and just fry it in the morning.