Chilean Lomito Sandwich ~ Paleo
Second, only to a well made Bahn Mi, the traditional Chilean Lomito is my favorite sandwich. Pork and avocado is one of the great complimentary food pairings in the world, and nowhere is better evidenced than in the Chilean’s favorite street food. Considered the “unofficial” national dish of Chile, El Lomito is a massive pork sandwich served round-the-clock throughout the country.
In comparison, the popularity of the lomito can only be rivaled by the US's love of the hamburger.
I have made many, many, lomitos in my time, but on my current experiment with Paleo eating, I decided that instead of giving up my favorites, I’d see if I can reinvent them in a way that won’t get “the look” from my wife.
Chilean Lomito, Paleo Style
- 2 lg. pork steaks, boneless
- 2 Tbs. Ghee (clarified butter – recipe below)
- 2 Tbs. Grapeseed oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbs oregano
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 3 firm Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup Paleo Mayo (recipe below)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp. Mexican chili powder
- 2 Paleo-friendly sandwich rolls (almond or coconut flour)
Mise en Place
Thin slice tomatoes, cube avocados, peel and smash garlic. Dice onion, carrot, and celery.
Prepare/Warm chicken stock. Roll and squeeze lime. Whisk mayo and coconut milk with chili powder, pour into a small squeeze bottle, and set aside to chill.
Preparation
Bring pork steaks to room temperature.
Pound pork steaks to an even 3/4 inch thickness, and season both sides of pork with salt, pepper, and oregano.
In a large skillet, over high heat, brown pork steaks on both sides in 1tbs ghee and 1 Tbs. grapeseed oil.
Set aside and keep just warm.
Add remaining ghee and oil to pan, along with the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery. Saute until veggies start to soften (I like to add any "fatty bits" I've trimmed from the pork, but that's optional.)
Add the chicken stock. and cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup of liquid. Strain, discard veggies and return liquid to the skillet over medium heat. Add pork steaks and cook one minute, flip, and remove the skillet from heat and let rest two minutes.
When pork is done Remove from braising liquid and set aside.
Again, reduce the braising liquid, this time by half.
Slice rolls and warm in oven (do not toast).
Plate
After pork has rested 5 minutes, slice it very thinly against the grain, then chop. Pile the chopped pork onto warmed rolls (bottom slice) spread with mayo, and brush with reduced braising liquid. Add a big dollop of avocado and top with tomato on top slice. Close sandwich.
Serve and enjoy!
~Chef Perry
Paleo Mayo
2 egg yolks
3 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coconut oil
Mix the yolks and 1 tsp lemon juice. in a food processor on low. Very (VERY) slowly begin drizzling in the oil, drop by drop to create an emulsion (too much oil, to fast, will cause the mixture to separate.
As the emulsion forms and everything starts to thicken, you can add the oil a little faster.
Once all of the oil has been added, and your mayo is thick, whisk in the rest of the lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India and is commonly used in South Asian, Iranian and Arabic cuisines, traditional medicine, and religious rituals. Wikipedia
1lb Unsalted grass-fed butter (1 pint)
Cut the butter into one-inch cubes, and melt over medium heat, gently stirring it frequently, until a thick, white foam begins forming on the surface. Continue to stir until it starts to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook the butter 5 minutes, stirring just once or twice, allowing more foam to form until you see milk solids (curdles) beginning to form on the sides of the pot (this is a good thing). Scrape the sides of the pot to help the solids sink to the bottom.
Continue to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot gently so the solids don’t burn, as the butter becomes clearer. When a second foam begins to form on top, you’re ready to strain your ghee. Remove from heat and let the foam settles for a minute.
Line a metal sieve with cheesecloth and set directly over a quart-size bowl, and strain the mixture into the bowl. (Discard the milk solids.) Cover the jar loosely and allow to set for 4-6 hours at room temp.
Ghee will keep in the pantry for months, so no refrigeration is necessary.
