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5.0 from 3 votes

Chifrijo

Chifrijo is a delicious traditional Costa Rican dish made with frijoles and pork rind, accompanied by pico de gallo and rice.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
2 hrs
Rest Time
30 mins
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: South American , Costa Rican

Ingredients

For the beans
  • 1 lb dry frijoles cubaces (large red kidney beans), soaked for 12 hours
  • 2 tems cilantro
  • 2 scallions , chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper , finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic (with skin)
  • 2 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
For the pico de gallo
  • 4 ripe tomatoes , peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
  • 1 red onion , thinly sliced
  • 1 small bunch cilantro , finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
For the pork
  • 10 oz. chicharron (pork rind), cut into pieces
  • 10 oz. pork shank , cut into large cubes
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • salt
  • pepper
For the rice
  • 1 white onion , chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 red bell pepper , chopped
  • 1½ cup white rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
To serve
  • Jalapeno pepper , sliced
  • avocado (ripe), sliced
  • corn tortillas , grilled or fried
  • A few lices lime
Equipment
  • Pressure cooker
  • Dutch oven

Instructions

Beans
    Cup of Yum
  1. Drain the beans, and add into a pressure cooker.
  2. Cover them with water and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, cilantro, 1 scallion, whole garlic cloves, and half of the bell pepper.
  3. Heat over low heat and mix for 5 minutes.
  4. Then lock the pressure cooker and cook, on medium-low heat, for 45 minutes.
  5. After 45 minutes, open the pressure cooker and check the cooking of the beans. If they are not tender enough, close the pressure cooker and continue cooking for 15 minutes
  6. While cooking the beans, in a frying pan, prepare a sofrito with the remaining olive oil, the crushed garlic, the remaining scallion, the second half of the bell pepper, salt and pepper.
  7. When the beans are cooked, open the pressure cooker, add this sofrito mixture to the beans and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
Pico de gallo
  1. Mix all the ingredients. Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Pork
  1. Mix salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and oregano and coat each piece of pork with this mixture.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven and brown all the pieces of pork without drying them (add a little water if they are turning too dry).
  3. Once the pieces of pork are cooked, place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Rice
  1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  3. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the water and salt and cook for about 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
To serve
  1. The chifrijo is served in bowls or soup plates.
  2. First put a layer of rice, then a layer of beans and a little of their sauce, a layer of pork and finally the pico de gallo.
  3. The result is hot and cold.
  4. Serve with grilled or fried corn tortillas, sliced ​​avocado, jalapeño pepper and slices of lime.