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Vigorón
Granada's yuca, crisp pork crackling and cabbage salad on a banana leaf
Vigorón was born in the 1910s in the colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua, where it is still sold from stalls around the Parque Central, wrapped in banana leaf: boiled yuca topped with crisp pork crackling (chicharrón) and a tangy cabbage and tomato salad. This dish contains pork. It is street food, eaten at any hour with your fingers. The mistake is serving dry yuca; boil it until tender and slightly split, then keep it in its warm water until serving. Chef's tip: make the cabbage salad an hour ahead so the vinegar softens it.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the curtido salad
Yuca and pork
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix ½ small white cabbage, 2 tomatoes, ½ onion, 1 hot chilli, ¼ cup white vinegar, 1 lime and ¾ tsp salt. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
60 minStep 2: Put 2 ¼ lb yuca (cassava) in a pot of cold water with half the remaining salt (⅜ tsp salt), bring to the boil and simmer for 25–30 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Leave in the hot water. Never eat yuca raw or undercooked.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile put 1 ⅛ lb pork belly with skin in a heavy frying pan with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, the rest of ⅜ tsp salt and 100 ml water. Cook over a medium heat until the water evaporates, then keep frying in the rendered fat for 20–25 minutes, turning, until deeply golden and crisp.
30 minStep 4: Drain the pork on kitchen paper. It is well cooked through, well above the safe 145°F for whole pork.
Step 5: Lay out 4 banana leaf squares or plates, add the drained yuca, top with chicharrón and a big heap of salad. Eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vigorón take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of small white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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