A signature dish of Ayacucho's Holy Week: ground pork marinated with ají panca, vinegar and spices, then fried in lard until juicy and crumbled. It is served over boiled potatoes with beet, carrot, lettuce and onion salad.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Finely chop the yellow chili and mix it with the ground pork, ají panca paste, red wine vinegar, ground garlic, cumin, oregano, pepper, and most of the salt. Knead for 2 minutes, until the meat is evenly red. Cover and marinate for 2 hours.
While the meat finishes marinating, bring the water to a boil. Cook the beet for 15 minutes first; add the white potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the carrot and remaining salt, then continue for 8 to 10 minutes, removing each vegetable once tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
Dice the cooked beet and carrot. Tear the lettuce and thinly slice the red onion. Toss the vegetables with the lemon juice, keeping the lettuce fresh and the onion crisp. Leave the potatoes whole or halved for serving.
Melt the pork lard in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated meat and cook for 9 to 11 minutes, breaking it into irregular pieces with a spoon. Do not form patties or sausages: Ayacucho-style chorizo should be crumbled, browned and juicy, with small toasted edges and no pink areas.
Serve a boiled potato as the base or side of each plate and spoon a generous portion of chorizo over it with some of the red pan juices. Add the beet, carrot, lettuce and onion salad alongside. It should arrive piping hot, spiced and pleasantly tangy. And that's it—sausage without casing, breakfast with armor: Ayacucho understood everything. 🐷🔥
