Sanduiche de pernil
Photo: Monica Kaneko from Sao Paulo, Brasil · CC BY-SA 2.0

History

Cervantes in Copacabana, open since 1955, says its pernil sandwich was invented by its founding partners Cândido Villar Lema and Cândido Carballo Perez, with pineapple and cheese in pão de leite; the pork is marinated for three to five days and roasted for about six hours. Opus has sold its pernil with cheese on pão francês in Centro since 1968, and Riotur says it is considered the best pernil sandwich in the city.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 3 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg boneless pork shoulder or leg
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 pão francês rolls
  • 8 slices of prato or mozzarella cheese
  • 4 pineapple rings, optional

Method

  1. Rub the pork with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, add the bay leaves and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. Wrap in foil and roast at 160C for about 3 hours, opening the foil for the last 20 minutes to brown.
  3. Rest the pork for 15 minutes, then slice thickly.
  4. Split the rolls, fill with the sliced pork, cheese and pineapple if using.
  5. Warm the sandwiches briefly so the cheese melts.

Tip from the editors. The long, low roast is the point: pull the pork when it yields to a fork, and moisten the slices with the pan juices.

Where to eat sanduiche de pernil

Sanduiche de pernil in Rio de Janeiro

Opus ★ 4.4

$ SandwichCentro

Opus has sold pernil sandwiches on pão francês from a bar on Rua Gonçalves Dias in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, since 1968, with very cold chope for the afternoon.

TrySanduíche de pernil assado with cheese on pão francês

Directions

Casa Clipper ★ 4.2

$ SandwichLeblon

Casa Clipper sells pernil sandwiches and chope from 08:00 to 23:30 on Rua Carlos Góis in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, a heritage bar open since 1945.

TrySanduíche de pernil, with a draught chope

Directions

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Sanduiche de pernil in São Paulo

Bar e Lanches Estadão ★ 4.5

$ Street foodCentroUntil Open 24 hours

Bar e Lanches Estadão is a 24 hour lanchonete in central Sao Paulo, its pernil sandwich a cheap late-night fixture for journalists and night owls alike.

OrderThe sanduiche de pernil, roast pork leg sliced to order at the counter.

TipIt never closes, so it works as a stop on the way home from a night out; the bife a cavalo is the plate if you want more than a sandwich.

Directions

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