Panecico (cassava and pork crackling roll) is an obscure dish of our cuisine, known better as roadside fare. Our recipe is a slightly modernized version of this Tierra Adentro dish.
Why we ❤️ it
Panecicos are not something people make at home, if you've ever encountered it "in the wild" it was almost certainly at a roadside stand. It is also known as bobote, or chola [1], depending on the region of the country.
While I would love to think of myself as an intrepid investigative writer, traveling the Dominican countryside in search of hidden treasures of our culinary culture, the fact is that I am not that. We just travel aimlessly around the country from time to time, sampling the local foods and befriending perfect strangers on local colmados.
That is even easier to do if you realize how amazingly friendly and talkative we Dominicans are.
About this recipe
I originally learned from my readers about this dish, it was Dominicans' friendliness and openness that led me to find out how to make it. This is a pretty obscure dish, I have only tried it from one vendor on the road from Dajabon to Loma de Cabrera, although I have heard of at least two other vendors in the country.
Thanks to Doña Nena and Elba Rosa from Partido, Dajabón, for confirming some details of the recipe.
If you are looking for a version that is a little easier, try this pan de yuca based on the same concept and recipe.
Recipe
[Recipe + Video] Panecicos (Cassava and Pork Crackling Rolls)
Ingredients
- 1½ pound yuca (cassava), [0.7 kg] peeled, washed
- 1 cup chicken broth, , unsalted
- 1½ teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons butter (salted), at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon aniseed
- 1 egg (medium), whisked
- 1 pound pork cracklings, (chicharrones) minced
- 8 plantain leave squares, or parchment paper, cut into 5"x5" [13 x 13 cm] squares.
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, to grease the skillet
Instructions
Grating yuca: Grate using the least coarse side of the grater, or using the grater attachment of your food processor (which I did).Place the grated cassava on a clean cotton cloth and squeeze as much liquid as you can. Catch the liquid into another container and measure the amount released.- Measuring broth: Measure that same amount of chicken broth (I used 1 cup of broth, the amount may vary depending on the cassava you use). You may discard the liquid extracted from the cassava.
- Softening the leaves: Boil a pot full of water, and dip the leaves until they are pliable (about a minute). Remove from the water and set aside.
- Making the buns: Mix broth, with salt to taste. Add butter and aniseed. Combine with the yuca and mix well. Add whisked egg. Mix well.Add the cracklings to the cassava mixture and mix well. Place ¼ cup of the batter onto a piece of plantain leaf, or parchment paper and wrap. It should have a thickness of less than ½ an inch [about 0.75 cm].Make more bundles with the rest of the batter.
- Cooking: Heat a greased skillet over medium heat. Place 2 to three of the wraps on the skillet, cover with the lid, and cook for 15 minutes. Flip, cover, and cook for 10 more minutes.Unwrap one and check for doneness, if needed, rewrap and cook more as needed.Repeat with the rest of the wraps.
- Serving: Serve wrapped to prevent them from drying out, and unwrap just before eating.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
References
- Ningún lugar está lejos - Panecicos, ricos panes criollos
I'm allergic to pork. Is there any other kind of crackling I can use?
Just made this with bits of sliced ham instead of cracklings. Came out delicious! I'm always looking for cassava recipes as my son is allergic to gluten and this is is a definite winner. I freeze a lot of my baking so my son always has something on hand to… Read more »
That's fascinating. It's like a twice-cooked bread roll. It is perfect for my no-grains diet. I must go hunt out some cassava. I guess different things could be substituted for the crackling if you wanted to.