Pan con Chicharrón – Peruvian Pork Belly Sandwich

Step 1: Boil the Pork

Place the pork belly and pork shoulder into a pot of boiling water. Add the quartered red onion, spring onion stalks, garlic cloves, orange peel, lemon peel, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, black peppercorns, fresh mint sprigs, and salt. Cook slowly for 90 minutes until the pork is tender.

Step 2: Prepare and Fry the Pork

Remove the cooked pork from the broth and slice it into desired pieces. In a separate pan, heat pork fat or vegetable oil. Add the sliced pork and fry until lightly golden and crispy. Remove the fried pork and set aside.

Step 3: Fry the Sweet Potatoes

In the same pan with the remaining fat/oil, add the thinly sliced sweet potatoes. Fry until golden brown and tender. Remove and set aside.

Step 4: Prepare the Rocoto Cream Base

In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the chopped rocoto pepper, ají limo pepper, minced garlic, chopped red onion, and chopped spring onion. Sauté until softened, then season with salt and black pepper. Briefly flambé the mixture if desired.

Step 5: Blend the Rocoto Cream

Transfer the sautéed rocoto mixture to a blender. Add the fresh cheese, soda crackers, and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Step 6: Prepare the Salsa Criolla

In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced red onion and ají limo. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Squeeze in the juice from one lime. Add the chopped fresh cilantro and fresh mint. Mix well to combine.

Step 7: Assemble the Sandwich

Slice a crusty bread roll in half. Spread a generous amount of rocoto cream on the bottom half. Layer with fried sweet potato slices, followed by the fried pork (chicharrón). Add another dollop of rocoto cream and top with a generous portion of salsa criolla. Place the top half of the bread roll to complete the sandwich.

Step 8: Serve and Enjoy

Serve the Pan con Chicharrón immediately and enjoy its rich flavors and textures.

• The leftover pork broth can be used as a flavorful base for other dishes like 'arroz con chancho' (rice with pork).

• Do not over-fry the pork to prevent it from becoming dry; aim for a lightly golden and crispy texture.

• Adjust the spice level of the rocoto cream and salsa criolla by adding more or less ají limo and rocoto.

• Experiment with different types of bread rolls for varying textures.