Pork Chicharrones With Hogao Tomatoes And Aji Verde

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Last Updated on 29th November 2023 by

Crispy pork belly chicharrones are some of Colombia’s most loved savoury treats. To make yours, you’ll bake pork belly until golden and serve with spicy chilli and coriander salsa and hogao-style tomatoes. Buen provecho!

Ingredients

For 2 people [double for 4]

1 x 300g British pork belly
1 brown onion
5g coriander
1 garlic clove
1 green chilli
1 spring onion
2 tomatoes
130g white long grain rice
15ml white wine vinegar

You’ll also need

Vegetable oil, salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil

Cooking instructions 40 mins

For 2 people [double for 4]

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle. Pat the pork belly dry with kitchen paper, then score the fatty side, horizontally in lines, approx. an inch thick by drawing a sharp knife through the skin, deep enough to reach the meat below. Cut the scored pork in half, lengthways. Season with a very generous pinch of salt and rub it deep into the fat.

Step 2

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat. Once hot, add the sliced pork belly, fat-side down and cook for 4 min or until golden and crispy, then flip and cook for 2 min on the other side. Once done, transfer the pork to a tin foil-lined baking tray and put the tray in the oven for 30-35 min or until cooked through – these are your pork chicharrones. Reserve the pan.

Step 3

Meanwhile, trim, then slice the spring onion[s] finely. Cut the green chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop as finely as you can. Chop the coriander very finely.

Step 4

Combine the sliced spring onion with the chopped chilli (can’t handle the heat? Go easy!), chopped coriander and white wine vinegar. Add 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil and a generous pinch of salt – this is your aji verde.

Step 5

Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Peel and slice the brown onion[s] into thin wedges. Peel and chop the garlic finely.

Step 6

When the pork has 15 min left, add the white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [450ml] cold water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked. Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving.

Step 7

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil and once hot, add the onion wedges and cook for 6-7 min or until slightly softened. Once slightly softened, add the tomato wedges with the chopped garlic and a generous pinch of salt, sugar and pepper. Add 50ml [80ml] boiled water and cook for 6-7 min or until softened but not completely broken down – these are your hogao tomatoes.

Step 8

Serve the pork chicharrones over the cooked rice with the hogao tomatoes to the side. Add the aji verde to a small pot for dipping.

Enjoy!

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