Bocadillo de Salchichón

Bocadillo de Salchichón

A classic Castilian bar sandwich: paper-thin slices of peppery dry-cured salchichón tucked into a length of crusty Spanish barra, optionally slicked with olive oil and topped with a few shavings of Manchego. Ready in the time it takes to unwrap the bread.

Prep

5 min

Total

5 min

Serves

1

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •80 g (2¾ oz) salchichón, Spanish dry-cured pork sausage with peppercorns; slice as thinly as possible. Substitutes: Italian finocchiona or a good French saucisson sec.
• •1 whole (1 half-baguette (~25 cm / 10 in)) barra de pan, crusty Spanish baguette with a soft crumb; a fresh Italian or French baguette works. Avoid ciabatta or sourdough - too chewy.
• •1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, optional, but traditional; use a Spanish EVOO from La Rioja or Andalusia if possible.
• •20 g (¾ oz) Manchego cheese, optional; aged 3–6 months, shaved with a vegetable peeler.

Steps

1. 1 Slice the salchichón as thinly as you can manage - aim for 2–3 mm (about 1/16 in) rounds, ideally on a slight bias so the slices are wider than the sausage's diameter. Leave the slices at room temperature for 5 minutes so the fat softens and releases its aroma.
2. 2 Cut the barra into a length of about 20–25 cm (8–10 in). Slice it lengthwise, not all the way through, so the two halves remain hinged - this is the traditional 'libro' (book) cut.
3. 3 If using olive oil, drizzle it lightly over the cut face of the bread (about 1 tsp per sandwich). The bread should be glossy, not soaked.
4. 4 Lay the salchichón slices in a single, slightly overlapping layer across the bread, covering it from end to end. Don't fold or stack - the point is maximum surface contact with the bread.
5. 5 If using Manchego, scatter a few thin shavings over the salchichón now.
6. 6 Close the bread, press down gently with the flat of your hand for 10 seconds, and let the sandwich rest for 1–2 minutes. This gives the peppery curing fat time to soak into the crumb.
7. 7 Cut in half on the diagonal and serve immediately, ideally with a glass of Ribera del Duero, Rioja, or a vermú.