Bolivia - Sandwich de Chola

Happy New Year! To celebrate the start of 2018 here is a delicious recipe for a pulled pork sandwich from the South American country of Bolivia! 

My life got pretty busy at the end of last year (2017) so it has been a while since I have posted a recipe. But now I am excited to continue my culinary journey - slowly making my way through the world’s cuisines.

Bolivia (officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia) is a country in western-central South America, and is bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Bolivia was the centre of the Tiwanaku empire from 300-115 BC. Then part of the Incan empire in the 15th century, and then the Spanish Conquest of the Incan empire began in 1524. Bolivia soon became an important territory for the Spanish Empire due to its silver mines. In 1809 the country first called for their independence, and soon became part of ‘The Spanish American Wars for Independence’. It was not until 1825 (after 16 years of war) did Bolivia become a republic. On 6th August 1825, “Upper Peru” became known as Boliva, after Simon Bolivar, a military and political leader, now a Bolivian national icon. 

Bolivia is a diverse multi-ethnic country. The population is around 11 million, which includes Amerindians (the indigenous community), Mestizos (European and indigenous descendants), Europeans, Asians, and Africans. The country’s primary language is Spanish, but there are also 37 other official languages.  

Bolivia’s culture embraces and reflects this diversity. For example, many religious festivals are a blend of indigenous and European practices. The Carnival of Oruro, as festival proceeding Lent, combines the native beliefs with the Catholic beliefs brought to Bolivia by the Spanish. The festival combines a pilgrimage to visit the indigenous deities: the snake and the toad, with Catholic morality plays and dedications to the Virgin Mary. The highlight of the festival is a three day/night parade of around 28,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians. 

As with its culture, Bolivian cuisine stems from a combination of Spanish food with local ingredients. Bolivia food staples are corn, potatoes, quinoa, beans, beef, pork and llama. Due to the country’s high altitude, many meals are spicy and high in protein and carbohydrates. Today’s recipe is ‘Sandwich de Chola’, which is a popular street food sandwich in the city of La Paz. Its name is derived from the cholitas (a local name for women) who prepare the meal.

Sandwich de Chola

Pork:

• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 yellow habanero chillies, chopped
• 1.5kg pork 
• 1 orange, juiced
• ⅓ cup white vinegar
• 125 ml water
• 6 large soft white round rolls

Pickled Vegetables:

• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, julienne
• 100g green beans, trimmed, cut into julienne
• 3 yellow habanero chillies, chopped
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup white sugar

Hot Salsa:

• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 yellow habanero chillies, chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ tsp salt

Pickled vegetables: blanch onion, carrots and beans in a saucepan of boil water for 2 mins and then drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again.

Combine the chillies, peppercorns, white vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Add the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Salsa: blend the salsa ingredients until smooth.

Pork: Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Blend or grind peppercorns, oregano, cumin, salt, garlic, and chillies into a paste. Rub paste over the pork.

Place the pork in a heavy-based pot with orange juice, vinegar, and water. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours* or until pork is tender. Shred the pork.

Cut the rolls in half, layer the rolls with salsa, pickled vegetables, and pork.

*note: Can be cooked in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

✸✸✸✸

This sandwich was delicious! It's definitely one of my favourite meals so far! It was a wonderful blend of sweet and sour. The pulled pork was nice and juicy, and the pickled vegetables complement the meal perfectly.

175 meals to go. Next stop on my world tour: Bosnia and Herzegovina!