Thanks to our friends at the Blue Rock Restaurant (#thebluerockrestaurant) for introducing us to Chifrijo. (an abbreviation for chi-charrón + frijo-les). Costa Rican chifrijo is a layered dish of rice, tender beans, crispy fried pork (chicharrón), and pico de gallo (Costa Rican chimichurri), garnished with avocado and cilantro and served with tortilla chips on the side. After doing some research, here’s my version. For the crispy pork, I chose to slow-cook locally sourced pork belly from #corsellobucheria for about 2 ½ hours until it was fall-apart tender. Alternatively, if you have left-over pernil, use it as an excellent substitution, or, for less fatty meat, use marinated, slow-roasted, or flash-fried boneless, country-style pork ribs. This recipe can be served either as a main dish or as bocas (“small bites”). Buen provecho!

Costa Rican Chifrijo
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Cooked beans, rice, crispy pork, chimichurri (pico de gallo),1 ripe avocado, tortilla chips, hot sauce (optional).
1. Beans (the quick and easy way)

• 2 cans of Goya Pink Beans (Habichuelas rosadas), pinto, or kidney beans

• 1 celery stalk

• ½ medium onion

• 1 clove of garlic

• water

Preparation
Drain and rinse the beans. Add to a saucepan along with a celery stalk, ½ an onion, and a clove of garlic smashed or minced. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, remove the veggies, and set aside or refrigerate

Beans (traditional method)

• 2 cups dry dark red kidney beans, pinto, or pink beans (habichuelas rosadas) rinsed and picked over

• water to cover the beans

• ½ onion, cut into chunks

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 celery stalk

• 2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
In a large bowl, cover the beans with two inches of water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to a large pot with half a medium onion, a celery stalk, a clove of garlic, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or more until the beans are tender. (Add more water as necessary to keep the beans covered with water.) Drain, remove the vegetables, and set aside. The beans can be made ahead and stored covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

2. Chimichurri (Pico de Gallo)- make ahead

• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced

• ½ red bell pepper, diced

• ½ red onion, diced (sub white onion if you prefer)

• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

• juice from ½ lime (2-3 tablespoons)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate

3. Rice

• 1 cup long-grain rice (rinsed)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons onions, diced

• 2 tablespoons bell pepper, diced

• 1 teaspoon garlic, diced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups water

Preparation
In a small pot, heat the oil. Sauté the onions, bell pepper, and garlic for about 1 minute. Lower the heat, add the rice, and stir for 2 minutes (until the rice turns opaque white). Add the water and salt. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15 minutes (until the rice is tender). Fluff the rice with a fork.

4. Chicharrón- Crispy Pork (the quick, lower-fat version)

• 2 pounds of boneless, country-style pork ribs, marinated for 4 hours. Alternatively, use two cups of leftover pernil.

Preparation
Marinate the pork for at least 4 hours (or overnight) in a covered container or plastic bag

• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

• ¼ cup fresh orange juice

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper

While the rice cooks, remove the pork from the marinade, scrape off any marinade, and dry the pork with a paper towel. Cut the pork into ½ inch pieces. Over medium-high heat, preheat a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil (I used some left-over duck fat) and fry the pork bits (or pernil), stirring until they are crispy on all sides. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside.

5. To serve the Chifrijo
Using 4 bowls, layer ½ cup of rice, ½ cup of beans, ½ cup chicharrón, and ¼ cup of chimichurri. Garnish with cubed avocado and chopped cilantro. Serve warm tortilla chips on the side. To kick it up a notch, don’t forget your hot sauce of choice.

Other good recipes for chifrijo:
https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/costa-rican-chifrijo/
https://www.puravidamoms.com/costa-rican-chifrijo-recipe/