Elevate Your Breakfast With This Pork Belly Peruvian Sandwich

From the many international scrambled egg dishes to a morning bowl of noodles, breakfasts take on a variety of forms worldwide. In Peru, a cherished way to start the day includes pan con chicharrón, a flavorful pork belly sandwich. Constructed on small white bread rolls, the dish pairs together crispy bites of pork and fried sweet potato slivers, all topped with tangy-spicy salsa criolla. It's a sandwich stacked with rich flavors: A vibrant salsa cuts through the savory, fatty pork while sweet potato adds a tender, earthy layer.

Popular throughout Peru, the dish appears as a street food, at markets, notable restaurants, cafes, and inside the home, typically enjoyed on the weekend alongside coffee. Upon such a foundation, different Peruvian regions craft intriguing local variations. Corn kernels add a distinct texture in mountainous Huaraz; a version from the city of Huancayo comes especially spicy — while Cusco-style pan con chicharrón serves pork rinds alongside. So craft a version at home or seek out a delicious rendition at a restaurant — it's a great sandwich to start your day with.

Popular from the 20th century onward, pan con chicharrón fuses European and Latin American influences into a distinctly Peruvian creation. As with other Peruvian dishes, each component comes backed by its own tradition, so carefully consider the details amidst assembly.

Most essential to the sandwich's foundation is the crispy chicharrón, a fried pork preparation widespread throughout Latin America, emerging by way of Spain. Peruvian-style chicharrón involves pork that's first boiled in water, then fried in its own fat. Using such animal fats as lard or beef tallow adds a rich flavor, but assembly proves messy and time-consuming — hence why many Peruvians buy bulk chicharrón for their own sandwich assembly. To attain the crunchy exterior yet meaty pork interior, you could also consider oven-roasting pork belly instead.

Traditionally, the sweet potatoes are then fried standalone, yielding flavorful, crispy slices. If you're not a sweet potato fan, you could also swap them for regular, a regional addition also done in Huaraz, Peru.

Finally, just like how pickled onions elevate tuna salad, the allium also brightens this meat-heavy dish, all while infusing a dash of heat in the mix. So for the zesty salsa criolla, you'll need red onions, ají amarillo chiles, and cilantro, all marinated in lime juice. Since ají amarillo can be hard to track down, substitute with serranos and orange bell peppers. Top the salsa onions atop meat and potatoes in a small white bread roll, and dig into the flavor-packed breakfast sandwich.