Lunches
Yuca con Chicharrón
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) yuca root, peeled and cut into chunks
- 600 g (1.3 lb) pork belly, cut into strips
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) lime juice
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
Method
- Boil the yuca in salted water for 20-25 minutes until fork-tender; drain.
- Score the pork belly skin and fry in a dry skillet over medium heat, rendering the fat slowly until deeply crisp, about 30 minutes.
- Drain the chicharrón on paper towels and season with salt.
- Combine tomato, onion, lime juice and cilantro to make the curtido-style relish.
- Serve the yuca and chicharrón together topped generously with the tomato relish.
Introduction: A beloved weekend lunch throughout Honduras, pairing boiled yuca with crisp pork chicharrón and a bright tomato-onion curtido.
Cultural Background: A beloved weekend lunch throughout Honduras, pairing boiled yuca with crisp pork chicharrón and a bright tomato-onion curtido. It is a common sight at roadside comedores, often eaten with the hands and washed down with a cold soft drink.
Tips: Render the pork fat low and slow — rushing the heat will leave the chicharrón soft rather than crackly.
Variations: Some cooks fry the yuca instead of boiling it for extra crunch alongside the chicharrón.
Storage: Store yuca and chicharrón separately in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat chicharrón in a dry skillet or oven to restore crispness; steam yuca briefly to soften.
Nutrition: Approx. 610 kcal, 24 g protein, 40 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate per serving.
FAQs:
Q: Can I bake the chicharrón instead of pan-frying?
A: Yes, roast at 220°C (425°F) for 45-50 minutes, turning once, for a similarly crisp result.
Q: What is the tomato relish called?
A: It's often simply called 'chismol' when the same tomato-onion mixture is chopped finer.
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