Chifrijo for Expat Retirees

One way retired expats can experience Costa Rican culture is by eating the local foods.

Most every expat has tried gallo pinto which is a popular rice and bean-based dish and the national breakfast staple.

Chifrijo is another Costa Rican delight that has an interesting story behind it. This local treat is commonly served in bars and restaurants. It consists of a combination of rice, beans, chicharrones (fried pork rinds/skin) and chimichurri, a tomato-based salad with lime juice. All together, these three ingredients make for a well-balanced dish that is filling.

About 39 years ago Miguel Cordero got a craving to try something different. He decided to combine the ingredients above and thus this dish was born. He offered this new creation to some of the clients of his bar, Corderos Bar located in Colima de Tibás, and they all loved it. However, he had no name for it. He decided to combine chi from the word chicharrón (see above) and frijo the the word frijoles both of which are the main ingredients inthe recipe. Thus, the word chifrijo was born.

Because Miguel created the popular dish his business is now known by its nickname, “La Casa del Chiflijo,” which in English it translates as the “Chifrijo House”. However, expats do not have to travel all the way to Miguel’s bar to try Chifrijo since it is part of almost every menu in Costa Rica.

Here is recipe if you want to try and make chifrijo at home:

Chifrijo Recipe – serves about 10 people.

2 lbs of red tender beans – it takes about 12 hours (overnight) to soak the beans in water until tender.
1 lb of fried pork, or meat cubes or strips, and/or shellfish.
1/2 lb of fried pork rinds (optional)
1/2 gallon of water
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
oregano, thyme, salt and pepper to taste
First, cook the beans with water, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Then, prepare the pico de gallo joining the following ingredients, and then refrigerate:

2 lbs diced tomato
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet chile
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Finally, serve in a bowl of cooked beans, add meat, seafood or chopped rinds (optional) of your choice, and then the pico de gallo to taste. If desired, place whatever garnishment you wish. It is normally served with chopped jalapeno chile, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce and avocado slices.