Sandwich De Chola
Ingredients
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- 4 pounds pork shoulder, skin-on
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt – for pork rub
- 1 tsp black pepper – for pork rub
- 2 tsp ground cumin – for pork rub
- 6 cloves garlic – mashed to a paste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil – for pork rub
- 1 cup water – for roasting pan
- 2 medium red onions – thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrot – thinly sliced
- 1 each rocoto pepper – thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water – for escabeche
- 1 tsp kosher salt – for escabeche
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil – for escabeche
- 6 rolls marraqueta – split
- llajua – for serving
Instructions
1. Make the pork rub: In a bowl, mix the garlic paste, ground cumin, black pepper, 2.5 tsp kosher salt (for pork rub), and 2 tbsp vegetable oil until a spreadable paste forms.
2. Prep the pork: Score the skin of the pork shoulder in a crosshatch without cutting into the meat. Rub the paste all over, working it into the scored skin and the meat. Place uncovered on a rack set over a pan and refrigerate 8–12 hours.
3. Roast low and slow: Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Set the pork shoulder on a rack in a roasting pan, pour 1 cup water into the pan, and roast until the meat is very tender and a skewer slides in with little resistance, 2.5–3 hours (internal temp around 175–185°F).
4. Make the escabeche while the pork roasts: In a large bowl, combine the sliced red onions, carrots, and rocoto pepper. Add the white vinegar, 0.5 cup water, 1 tsp kosher salt (for escabeche), and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Toss and lightly massage the onions until they wilt slightly, then let stand 30–60 minutes, tossing occasionally.
5. Crisp the skin: Increase oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Return the pork to the oven and roast until the skin is blistered, crackly, and deep golden, 20–30 minutes. Rest the pork 20 minutes.
6. Slice and prep bread: Thinly slice the pork, chopping the crackling into bite-size pieces. Split the marraqueta rolls (warm briefly if desired).
7. Assemble and serve: Pile sliced pork onto the rolls, add pieces of crackling, and top generously with the onion–carrot–rocoto escabeche. Press to close and serve immediately with llajua on the side.
Sandwich de Chola is a beloved Bolivian pork sandwich defined by contrasts: crisp, shattering crackling and juicy slices of roasted pork tucked into a crackly marraqueta roll. It is crowned with a bright, punchy escabeche of red onions, carrot, and hot rocoto that cuts the richness with acidity and heat. The balance of textures and the interplay of savory pork, tangy pickles, and fresh chile make it deeply satisfying and highly cravable.
Born in the highland markets of La Paz and El Alto, the sandwich takes its name from the Indigenous and mestiza vendors—often called “cholitas”—who popularized it. Marraqueta bread, a local icon with a thin, glassy crust, is integral to the sandwich’s character. Over time the formula has remained remarkably consistent: slow-roasted pork with crackling, a simple vinegar pickle, and optional llajua (Bolivian hot sauce), served as a staple of morning fairs, street stalls, and festive gatherings.