The Torresmo de rolo is made from a part of the pork loin called barriga in Portuguese, seasoned, rolled, baked and then fried.
But first of all it is necessary to explain what torresmo is.
It is a culinary preparation based on pork skin cut into pieces and fried to make it crispy.
It is used as an ingredient in various dishes in Portuguese cuisine as well as in other regions of South America, and in Spanish-speaking countries it is called “chicharron”.
For Brazil and Portugal it is part of their gastronomic tradition, and in Brazil it is prepared with some additions of spices introduced by African peoples.
Torresmo is especially associated with the state of Minas Gerais where it is often enjoyed as an appetizer or used as an ingredient in feijoada and feijão tropeiro.
The photo below is the Torresmo de rolo tasted at the restaurant “Porto Gerais” in Porto Seguro, served with cassava purée.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Brazilian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4.4 lbs Pork barriga with skin (Part of the pork loin)
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste olive oil
- to taste vegetable oil
- 3 limes
Tools
- Twine kitchen twine
Steps
Season both sides of the barriga with pepper, salt, olive oil and lime.
Then roll it onto itself, tying it tightly with kitchen twine.
Bake in a preheated oven at 374°F for 2 hours, then remove from the oven and let rest for about 40 minutes.
Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours, then remove the twine and slice into 2-inch slices.
Fry in hot oil or lard and serve accompanied with lime.
This is the packaged torresmo available in Brazilian supermarkets.
Panceta pururuca
Another similar preparation is panceta pururuca, which we tasted on the beach of Coroa Vermelha from a street vendor (see photo below). Panceta also comes from the “barriga”, but contains less fat; the preparation method is the same as torresmo de rolo but without being rolled.
The term “pururuca” comes from Tupi and means “that which produces noise”, referring to the extremely crunchy pork skin.
Torresmo to discover also online…
