Bocadillo de Pata Asada Canario

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Roasting tin just large enough for the pork
• •Kitchen thermometer
• •Immersion blender and tall jar
• •Sharp carving knife
• •Serrated bread knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Rub the pork

   Dry the pork well and score the fat in shallow lines. Pound the 6 garlic cloves with the 22g salt to a paste, then mix in the pimentón, oregano, thyme, pepper, wine, olive oil, and vinegar. Rub it all over the pork, getting it into the cuts, then cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. Pésalo, no lo adivines: the salt is what seasons a whole piece of meat properly.

   Two hours of marinating helps if the day has caught you short, but overnight gives the meat the Canarian bar flavour you are after.
2. 2

   Set the roast

   Take the pork from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Heat the oven to 160C / 325F. Put the pork fat side up in a roasting tin just large enough to hold it, scrape in all the marinade, add the bay leaves and 100ml water, and cover the tin tightly with parchment and foil.

3. 3

   Roast low

   Roast covered for 2 hours, basting once with the juices in the tin. This is the step that decides the bocadillo: the leg must cook gently first, so the garlic, oregano, wine, and pork juices become one thing. A hard sear at the start gives you a dry outside and no mercy inside. If the tin dries, add a splash more water.

4. 4

   Brown and finish

   Uncover the pork, baste it well, raise the oven to 190C / 375F, and roast 35 to 45 minutes more, until the outside is dark gold and the thickest part reaches 72C. If you have used pork shoulder or paleta instead of leg, cook it covered until it reaches about 88C, then uncover to brown; it will slice less neatly, but it will be juicy.

5. 5

   Rest the meat

   Move the pork to a board and rest it 30 minutes. Pour the roasting juices into a small pan or jug, scraping up the sticky bits with 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot water if needed. Skim off only the excess fat. Do not throw the juices away; they are what the bread is waiting for.

6. 6

   Make the alioli

   Put the pasteurized egg, small garlic clove, lemon juice or vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a tall blender jar. Pour in the oil, set an immersion blender flat on the bottom, and blend without moving it until the base thickens. Then lift slowly until the alioli is glossy and spoonable. Taste for salt and garlic.

   If raw egg is not suitable for your table, stir grated garlic, lemon, and a pinch of salt into good bought mayonnaise. It is a compromise, but it is a sensible one.
7. 7

   Slice the pata

   Slice the pork warm, across the grain, as thinly as your knife allows, about 3 to 4mm if you can manage it. Lay the slices in a shallow dish and spoon over a little of the warm roasting juice. This keeps the meat glossy instead of tired.

8. 8

   Build the bocadillos

   Split the rolls and warm them for 2 or 3 minutes, just enough to wake the crust. Spread alioli on both sides, lay in the queso tierno, pile in the warm sliced pork, and spoon over a little more pan juice. Close, press lightly, and serve while the cheese has softened against the meat. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for fresh pork leg or fresh ham, not cured jamón. It should have a thin fat cap and enough shape to slice. If you use pork shoulder, cook it longer and accept that the slices will be more tender and ragged.
• •Queso tierno canario is mild, milky, and young. A firm queso fresco or mild young goat's cheese is the closest useful substitute abroad. A sharp aged Manchego is too salty and takes over the sandwich.
• •Use simple crusty bread with a firm crumb: a short barra, bocadillo roll, or small baguette. Brioche and soft sandwich bread turn sweet and collapse under the juices.
• •Make the alioli garlicky but not fierce. This is a bar sandwich, not a garlic dare. One small clove is enough unless your garlic is very mild.
• •Leftover pata is the point, not a problem. Slice it thin, keep it with its pan juices, and rewarm gently before building more bocadillos the next day.

Advance Preparation

• •Rub the pork 8 to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it covered; the overnight rest seasons the leg properly.
• •Roast the pork up to 2 days ahead. Chill it whole with its juices, then slice thin and rewarm covered at 150C / 300F with a few spoonfuls of the pan juice.
• •Make the alioli 1 day ahead with pasteurized egg and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Stir before using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 370g)