Chifrijo

A fantastic way to experience the local flavors of Costa Rica, is with a cold drink and a “boca*” in a typical cantina. This particular boca recipe is said to have originated from a bar in Tibas. It is a tasty layered dip that combines soft and crunchy textures—a perfect foundation for soaking up more cold beverages.

Bocas were traditionally made from whatever offerings were present in the kitchen, and served as little free appetizers. Now they will most likely cost a small amount of colones.

This layered dip combines soft and crunchy textures where the chicharrones (the fried pork can be substituted with shredded chicken) are placed between beans and diced tomatoes. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked red or black beans with liquid
• 1 and 1/2 cups of diced cooked chicharrones (recipe at the end).
• 1 whole tomato, diced
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon of thinly sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• Salt, pepper, hot peppers to taste
• 1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
• Fried tortilla chips for scooping

Instructions

Find a medium sized bowl to begin layering:

1. The warm cooked rice.
2. The beans with liquid.
3. The diced chicharrones or shredded chicken.
4. The diced tomato.
5. The cubed avocado.
6. The sliced onion.
7. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt, pepper, hot peppers, to taste.
8. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Best enjoyed with crispy tortilla chips

Homemade chicharrones

I like to start with one kilo of pork belly—panzada

Cook bite-size squares and sprinkle with baking soda. Rest for a few hours or overnight. Rinse off the meat and place into non-stick wok with 2 cups of water. Bring to a slow boil on low flame and cook for 1 hour or until the water has evaporated. Raise the heat slightly and fry the meat until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. You can simply enjoy them with tortillas and squeezed orange-lime juice.