Name: Frito trujillano with yuca and salsa criolla
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 59 min
Total time: 207 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2.5 cm thick strips; 45 g ají panca paste, unsweetened; 20 g garlic, crushed; 45 ml red wine vinegar; 2 g ground cumin; 6 g fine salt; 85 ml neutral frying oil, for pan-frying; about 20 ml expected to be retained; 700 g sweet cassava (yuca) suitable for boiling, peeled, woody core removed and cut into pieces; 1600 ml water, for simmering cassava; 180 g red onion, cut into fine plumes; 50 ml fresh lime juice, for onion salsa; 10 g ají limo, finely chopped; 8 g cilantro, chopped

How to prepare Frito trujillano with yuca and salsa criolla

Yield 4 hearty servings

Prep 25 minutes

Cook 59 minutes

Passive 123 minutes

Total 207 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

How to prepare Frito trujillano with yuca and salsa criolla

Frito trujillano belongs to the pork-rich repertoire of the La Libertad coast. Local examples differ in whether the pork is grilled after marinating, simmered before frying or fried more directly. The common points include seasoned pork, a browned exterior and accompaniments such as yuca and onion salsa. This stovetop approach favours manageable boneless pieces.

Ají panca is a Peruvian dried red chili made into a paste; it contributes fruitiness and deep colour rather than simply fiery heat. Garlic, cumin and vinegar form a savoury marinade. The pork needs enough pan contact to brown, so overcrowding works against the intended crust and can extend the cooking time.

Boiled cassava has a dense, starchy interior that absorbs the savoury pork juices. Trim and peel it correctly, and cook it fully; raw cassava must never be served. The fresh onion-and-lime salsa cuts the richness at the table.

Ingredients

Pork and marinade

800 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2.5 cm thick strips
45 g ají panca paste, unsweetened
20 g garlic, crushed
45 ml red wine vinegar
2 g ground cumin
6 g fine salt
85 ml neutral frying oil, for pan-frying; about 20 ml expected to be retained

Cassava and salsa

700 g sweet cassava (yuca) suitable for boiling, peeled, woody core removed and cut into pieces
1600 ml water, for simmering cassava
180 g red onion, cut into fine plumes
50 ml fresh lime juice, for onion salsa
10 g ají limo, finely chopped
8 g cilantro, chopped

Method

Marinate the pork under refrigeration.Mix 800 g pork with 45 g ají panca, 20 g garlic, 45 ml vinegar, 2 g cumin and 6 g salt in a non-reactive covered bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hours. The pork surfaces are coated evenly with the red marinade. Keep marinating meat at 4 °C or below and discard contact marinade after cooking.
Cook the cassava fully.Put 700 g prepared yuca into a saucepan with 1600 ml water, bring to a boil and simmer for 35 minutes until thoroughly soft and easily pierced; drain and keep hot. A fork passes completely through the yuca and no hard core remains. Do not eat cassava raw or undercooked.
Mix the fresh salsa.Toss 180 g sliced onion with 50 ml lime juice, 10 g ají limo and 8 g cilantro in a clean bowl. Chill until the pork is ready. The onion is evenly coated and still crisp.
Fry pork in two batches.Heat 85 ml oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Drain excess marinade from the pork. Fry half the pieces for 12 minutes and the remaining half for 12 minutes, turning to brown all faces. Check the centre of the thickest piece reaches at least 63 °C. A browned crust surrounds firm but yielding pork strips. Check pork with a probe thermometer at the thickest point; 63 °C minimum before the rest.
Rest and plate.Transfer cooked pork to a rack or clean plate and rest for at least 3 minutes. Serve with hot, fully cooked yuca and the onion-lime salsa. The meat juices settle and the browned exterior stays intact. The 3-minute pork rest is mandatory after the 63 °C reading.

Practical

Practical guidance

Serve this pork hot, with the onion salsa kept cool and fresh until the last minute. The yuca should be completely soft, but the pork should retain its browned exterior; avoid trapping it under a tight lid after frying. The measured oil is a pan-frying supply, not an amount that must all remain in the finished meal. The pork is marinated in the refrigerator for the full two hours. Do not hold raw marinated pork at room temperature to speed flavour development. If preparing components in advance, keep raw pork sealed below 4 °C and mix the onion salsa separately on a clean board. If the pan begins to smoke, reduce the heat before the ají paste burns. If pieces brown too quickly while the centre is cool, turn down the flame and allow more gentle cooking, still measuring 63 °C in the thickest part and observing the full three-minute rest.

Control points

Pork steams instead of browningThe pan is crowded or the meat wet with marinade; fry in two batches and drain excess marinade.
Cassava has a hard centreIt is not sufficiently cooked; return the pieces to simmering water until completely soft.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 4 hearty servings
Calories728 kcal
Carbohydrate60 g
Protein37 g
Fat36 g
Fibre5 g
Sodium675 mg

Allergens and food safety

Use only sweet cassava suitable for ordinary boiling; bitter/high-cyanide cassava needs other verified processing. Raw pork must be kept refrigerated and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Cook whole-cut pork to at least 63 °C and rest for 3 minutes. Cook cassava thoroughly, discarding peel and woody centre. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly. Separate raw pork from clean vegetables and utensils. The pork safety check must use an internal thermometer in the thickest strip, not a judgment based only on the browned crust. Allow the mandatory rest before eating. Cassava must be peeled and cooked all the way through; cut away its tough fibrous core.

Closing

Result: Trujillo-style pork seasoned with ají panca and vinegar, pan-fried and served with boiled cassava and onion-lime salsa.
Key control: Measure the internal pork temperature and rest before serving.