El Carbonero

Simple and classic - an old favourite in Lima Founded in 1923 by Italians, EL CARBONE has always been the place in Lima for salami, pork cuts and canned anchovies. A popular breakfast and lunch spot, today the star of the show is a giant “country ham”, a boneless pork leg seasoned with salt, pepper, ground garlic and then rubbed in the orange seeds of the achiote - a spice and coloring agent extracted from the seeds of the evergreen Bixa orellana shrub. Then the ham is rolled up and tied and cooked in salty water over a low heat for five hours. It is then carved in thick wedges and served between crusty French bread with a salad of onions, celery, chickpeas or Cannellini beans and Creole sauce.