Chilean pernil con palta en sopaipilla is a sandwich of tender boiled pork leg, thinly sliced and topped with mashed avocado, served between two fried sopaipillas instead of bread. It takes 60 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking in a pressure cooker, or about 90 minutes in a regular pot, and serves 4.
It brings together three Chilean favorites, pernil, palta, and sopaipillas, in one hearty, irresistible bite.
How to Make Pernil with Avocado in Sopaipillas?
The pork leg is cleaned and boiled with vegetables and herbs until tender, then left to cool in its broth and sliced. The avocado is mashed with salt and lemon, and each sandwich is built on a sopaipilla with slices of pernil and plenty of avocado, closed with a second sopaipilla.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of pernil with avocado in sopaipillas contains approximately 650 kcal, 30 g of protein, 35 g of fat, 100 mg of cholesterol, 45 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of sugars, 5 g of fiber, and 800 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Homemade Pernil with Avocado in Sopaipillas Recipe
Preparation: 60 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes (pressure cooker) or 90 minutes (regular pot)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pork leg (pernil)
- 8 sopaipillas
- 2 medium avocados
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 carrot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon
- ½ onion
- Oregano
- Sunflower oil
- Fine salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Clean and wash the pork leg very well, singeing off any remaining hairs directly over a flame and then scraping the skin with the edge of a knife to remove them completely.
- Place the pork leg in a pressure cooker and cover it with cold water. Add the oregano, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste, close the lid, and cook for about 45 minutes.
- If you use a regular pot, cook covered in a large pot for about 90 minutes. In both cases, remove from the heat and let the pernil cool in its own broth.
- Peel the avocados, remove the pits, and mash them with a fork. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon and set aside. Take the pernil out of the broth, slice it carefully with a sharp knife, and season with a little salt, pepper, and oil.
- Place 4 sopaipillas on a board, top them with slices of pernil, crown with plenty of mashed avocado, and close each one with a second sopaipilla. Serve right away, with a good coffee if you like.
Additional Tips
Use the broth
Once the pernil is cooked, let the broth cool and remove the layer of fat that sets on top. Reduce it over medium heat and use a little to moisten the sliced meat before assembling.
Chill before slicing
Hot pernil shreds when cut. For thin, even slices like a sandwich shop, let it cool completely, ideally a few hours in the fridge, so the fat and collagen hold the meat together.
Crisp the sopaipillas
For a different texture, warm the sopaipillas in an air fryer at 180°C (356°F) for 5 to 8 minutes. They turn drier and crunchier, a nice contrast with the creamy avocado.
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sopaipillas | Marraqueta or hallulla | 1 per sandwich | The classic bread version |
| Mashed avocado | Sliced avocado | Same amount | More texture |
| Pressure cooker | Regular pot | 90 minutes | Same result, more time |
| Sunflower oil | Olive oil | 1:1 | Fruitier seasoning |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What can I do with the leftover broth?
Do not throw it away. It is a concentrated pork stock you can freeze in ice cube trays and use as a base for porotos con riendas, a carbonada, or to cook rice with deep flavor.
2. How do I get perfect slices of pernil?
If the pernil is too hot, the meat will shred. Let the piece cool completely, ideally a few hours in the fridge. Once cold, the fat and collagen act as glue and you can cut thin, even slices with a sharp knife.
3. Is there an alternative to frying the sopaipillas?
You can heat them in an air fryer at 180°C (356°F) for 5 to 8 minutes. They will be drier and crunchier, which contrasts nicely with the avocado and the juicy pernil.
4. What drink pairs best with this sandwich?
Because of the richness of the pork and avocado, a craft amber ale or an IPA with good bitterness cleanses the palate. If you prefer wine, a young Carmenère with spicy notes complements the seasoning of the pork.
5. How do I know the pernil is done without a pressure cooker?
Watch the bone. When the meat starts to shrink back and the bone shows or comes loose with a gentle pull, the collagen has broken down and the meat is at its most tender.
What Is Pernil?
Pernil is the cut from the hind leg of the pig, prized for being juicy and flavorful. In Chile it is boiled, roasted, or baked, and boiled pernil with avocado is a classic filling for sandwiches.
What Are Sopaipillas?
Sopaipillas are round, fried flatbreads, in central Chile usually made with squash in the dough. They are eaten on their own, with pebre, or passed through chancaca syrup, and here they replace the bread of the sandwich.
Did You Know?
Chile is one of the world’s leading avocado producers, with the Valparaíso region concentrating most of its orchards, and avocado is a near constant in Chilean sandwiches, from the completo italiano to the barros luco variations.
How to adapt this recipe to a vegan or vegetarian version?
How to adapt this recipe to a gluten-free version?
How to adapt this recipe to a keto (ketogenic) version?
Recommended
- Chilean Sopaipillas with Pumpkin Recipe
- Chilean Southern Sopaipillas Recipe
- Chilean Diplomático Pork Loin Sandwich Recipe
- Chilean Chicken and Avocado Sandwich Recipe
