Pinchos (Puerto Rican Pork Skewers)
Grilled pork skewers in a garlic adobo, brushed with homemade barbecue sauce and topped with a piece of bread.
Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.
Pinchos are the street food of Puerto Rican festivals and roadside stands: chunks of pork or chicken in a garlic adobo, grilled over charcoal, brushed with sweet barbecue sauce and served with a piece of bread pushed onto the tip of the skewer, to hold it and to soak up the sauce.
The Thermomix® TM7™ makes the adobo for the marinade and a glossy homemade barbecue sauce with tomato, brown sugar and vinegar. Grill the pinchos on a grill pan on the stove or on your outdoor grill, and brush them with sauce only in the last few minutes, so it caramelizes without burning.
Made in the Thermomix® TM7™
Pinchos (Puerto Rican Pork Skewers)
Makes: 10 pinchos
- Prep25 min
- Cook35 min
- Total1 h
- Serves5
Ingredients
For the adobo
For the pork
For the barbecue sauce
To serve
Instructions
- Place the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and sazón in the mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 7. Scrape down the sides, add the lime juice and oil and mix 5 sec/speed 3.
- In a bowl, toss the pork with the adobo. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- For the barbecue sauce, place the onion and garlic in the mixing bowl (no need to wash it) and chop 5 sec/speed 5. Scrape down the sides, add the oil and sauté 3 min/120°C (250°F)/speed 1.
- Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and salt. Place the simmering basket on the mixing bowl lid instead of the measuring cup and cook 15 min/100°C (212°F)/speed 2.
- Put the measuring cup in place and blend 20 sec/speed 5-8, increasing speed gradually, until smooth. Pour half of the sauce into a small bowl for brushing and keep the other half for serving.
- Thread the pork onto the skewers, 4 or 5 pieces each.
- Heat a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat, or an outdoor grill, and oil it lightly. Grill the pinchos 12 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned and they reach at least 63°C (145°F) inside.
- In the last 3 minutes, brush the pinchos on all sides with the brushing sauce and let it caramelize. Push a cube of bread onto the tip of each skewer and serve with the rest of the sauce.
Tips
- For chicken pinchos, use boneless thighs and grill them until they reach 74°C (165°F).
- Want a tropical twist? Add 50 g (2 oz) guava paste, in pieces, to the barbecue sauce in step 4.
- Party tip: thread the pinchos the night before and keep them covered in the fridge. The barbecue sauce keeps 2 weeks in a closed jar in the fridge.
