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1
Simmer the pork until tender
50 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the pork chunks in a large pot with the crushed garlic, cumin, oregano, vinegar, 4 g salt and the water. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim off any foam, cover and cook for 50 minutes until the meat yields easily to a fork. Lift the pork out, pat it very dry, and reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat from the surface of the cooking liquid for frying.
Do not let the pot boil hard — a gentle simmer keeps the pork tender instead of tough, and the meat must be cooked through before it is fried.
Done when: Meat yields easily to a fork; internal temperature at least 63°C (145°F).
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2
Make the salsa criolla
10 Mins
No heat — room temperature
While the pork simmers, put the sliced onion, tomato wedges, mint, chilli and the remaining 2 g salt in a bowl. Squeeze the lime over everything, toss gently, and leave for at least 10 minutes so the onion softens slightly and the juices run.
Make the salsa while the pork simmers so the flavours have time to come together — but no more than an hour ahead, or the onion goes limp.
Done when: Onion softened slightly, salsa glistening with lime juice.
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3
Fry the sweet potato in the pork fat
12 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F)
Heat the reserved pork fat in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the sweet potato slices in a single layer for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and tender in the middle. Lift them out and drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt while they are hot.
Fry the sweet potato in the pork fat, not in plain oil — it picks up the pork flavour and that is the point.
Done when: Deep golden outside, soft and sweet inside.
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4
Fry the pork crisp
12 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F); pork must reach 63°C (145°F) plus 3 minutes rest
Add a little more rendered fat to the same pan if needed and raise the heat. Fry the pork pieces in a single layer for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep golden with crackling skin on all sides. Drain on paper towels and rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Dry pork browns, wet pork steams — pat the pieces really dry before they hit the fat, and do not crowd the pan or the crackling goes soft.
Done when: Deep golden all over, skin crisp and crackling, hot through.
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5
Warm the mote
5 Mins
Boiling, 100°C (212°F)
While the pork rests, drop the cooked mote into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain well. It should be hot through and tender, not watery.
Drain the mote well — water on the plate makes the crackling go soft.
Done when: Mote hot through, kernels plump and tender.
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6
Plate the chicharron
5 Mins
Hot, straight from the pan
Arrange the fried pork, sweet potato and mote on each plate, pile the salsa criolla alongside, and serve at once with lime wedges for squeezing.
Put the salsa on the side, not on top of the pork — spooning it over the crackling softens it in seconds.
Done when: Served steaming hot, pork still crisp.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the plate while the pork is still crackling and the sweet potato is hot — the contrast of crisp pork, soft sweet potato and sharp, cold salsa criolla is the whole point of the dish.
Peru
35m
