Pork

Cuchifrito (fried pork) with preserved lemon salsa

Name: Cuchifrito (fried pork) with preserved lemon salsa recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2.25kg thin end of pork belly (without bones), cut into 3cm chunks; 6 garlic cloves; Large handful of flat-leaf parsley; 1l olive oil; 150ml white wine vinegar; Juice of 1 lemon; 3 preserved lemons, rinds finely chopped; 100.00 ml capers (baby capers), chopped; 35g flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped; 20g fresh oregano, finely chopped; 20g mint, finely chopped; 1 green chilli, finely chopped; 150ml extra virgin olive oil

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by José Pizarro

Jul 05, 2022

“I just adore these crispy, golden pieces of heaven. The word cuchifrito comes from ‘fried pig’, and it’s traditionally made with suckling pigs – in my area in Spain, we eat them when they are as young as 21 days old. I sometimes make it with pork belly instead, as that’s much easier to source.”

2.25kg thin end of pork belly (without bones), cut into 3cm chunks
6 garlic cloves
Large handful of flat-leaf parsley
200ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 4 cups (1L) extra for deep-frying
150ml white wine vinegar

Preserved lemon salsa

Juice of 1 lemon
3 preserved lemons, rinds finely chopped
5 tbs capers (baby capers), chopped
35g flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
20g fresh oregano, finely chopped
20g mint, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
150ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

1.

Put the pork belly in a large dish. Mash the garlic in a pestle and mortar and add to the dish, along with the parsley, olive oil, a good grinding of black pepper and vinegar. Mix well, then cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
2.

The next day, preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Transfer the pork belly chunks and their marinade to a roasting pan, then cover with foil and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes.
3.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, then season well and set aside.
4.

Once the pork has finished roasting, pour the oil for deep-frying into a deep pan over a medium-high heat and preheat to 170°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small cube of bread in the oil – it will brown in about 25-30 seconds when the oil is hot enough. Drain the meat, then, working in batches, fry for 5-6 minutes until the pieces are really golden and crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, then season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Once all the meat has been fried, serve with the salsa.

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Recipe Notes

Begin this recipe a day ahead. TIP: You can order suckling pig online or speak to your local butcher if you want to try this recipe with the real deal.