Bocadillo de Lomo

Bocadillo de lomo is the Iberian loin-sandwich that stands alongside the more famous bocadillo de jamón as the everyday lunch of Spanish bars. The filling is a thick slice of pork loin (lomo) that has been marinated in garlic, paprika, oregano and salt, then pan-fried or griddled hard so the surface crusts but the centre stays just blushing-pink and juicy.

The loin goes into a crusty Spanish barra — a long, narrow baguette-style roll with a thin crust and a tight crumb — often layered with a pad of tomato pulp rubbed into the bread, a slick of olive oil, fresh lettuce or arugula, and sometimes a thin slice of manchego or a fried green pepper (pimiento). The meat is almost always served hot and freshly seared.

Bocadillo de lomo is the standard lunch in Andalusian bars (Sevilla, Cádiz, Córdoba), Extremadura (Mérida, Cáceres) and Castilla y León (Salamanca, Valladolid). Most cervecerías list three or four lomo variants on the chalkboard: lomo solo, lomo con queso, lomo con pimientos.