Pintxo de Tocino y Pimiento

A beautiful nod to the “Old Spain”—a rustic, salt-of-the-earth bite that celebrates the intensity of pork fat and the bite of a roasted pepper. Using Lardo Ibérico (cured back fat) or a thick slice of roasted Tocino, this is a “mountain style” tapa that pairs perfectly with a robust red wine.

Ingredients for 4

12 slices of Spanish baguette
12 thick slices of Tocino Ibérico (Spanish pork back fat/lard) or pancetta
12 Pimientos de Padrón (small Spanish green peppers)
12 pitted Black Aragon or Empeltre olives
Garlic Oil: 50ml extra virgin olive oil infused with 2 crushed garlic cloves
Coarse sea salt

Recipe

Brush the bread slices with the garlic-infused oil and toast until golden and fragrant.
Fry the Tocino slices in a hot pan without extra oil. The fat will render out and the edges will turn golden and “crispy-sweet.”
In the same pan (using the rendered pork fat), fry the mini green peppers over high heat until the skin is blistered and charred. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
The Assembly:
- Lay the warm, roasted lard slice onto the garlic toast.
- Place the blistered green pepper on top of the lard.
- Crown the stack with a single black olive.
Drive a small skewer or toothpick straight through the olive and pepper, anchoring it deep into the toasted bread.

In Spain, we often use Tocino de Veta, which has a little streak of meat, but the pure white back fat is the most traditional. When it hits the hot bread, the fat begins to “weep” into the crumb, effectively seasoning the bread from the top down. The bitter, salty punch of the black olive at the end is what “wakes up” the palate after the richness of the pork.

Chef’s Tip: Be careful with the Pimientos de Padrón. As the Spanish say: “Unos pican y otros no” (Some are hot, and some are not). Warn your guests that one in every ten might be a spicy surprise! To keep it “down-to-earth,” don’t remove the stems of the peppers—they serve as a natural handle for the guest.