Argentina has unique grilling traditions — they’ve mastered the art of cooking meat outdoors for centuries! The South American country has its own meat cuts as well, and one of the most exciting is the bondiola. 

What is bondiola? This is a pork cut from the shoulder and neck area; the meat is cured and seasoned for a wonderful addition to any grilling party. Yes, this rich and fatty piece of charcuterie is deliciously compatible with the grill’s smoky flavors. Learn how to cook bondiola in a disk grill and serve it with tender sweet potatoes, AKA Boniato potatoes. 

The recipe below calls for a few starchy boniato sweet potatoes, and although you can use any sweet potato available to you, this tuber variety is worth seeking. 

Boniato is a pink tuber or root veggie, and although it’s part of the sweet potato family, this variety is not particularly sweet, making it a versatile ingredient. You can use boniato to substitute both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes in any recipe!

Interestingly, in Argentina, boniato is often the complement of choice for pork dishes, so it’s no surprise today’s recipe for bondiola calls for a few boniato potatoes.

Grilling traditions are varied in Argentina, to say the least. They’ve created cooking methods not found anywhere else! And one of them is the disk or disco. A shallow cast-iron pot or pan designed to sear food on the grill without cooking it directly on the fire. Think of the disk grill as an outdoor stovetop.

What’s great about the disk grill is that you can stir-fry and sauté veggies and other ingredients chopped finely without risking them falling through the griddle. For the bondiola recipe below, we’re using a disk grill but use any grill-compatible pan or skillet.

Sweet & Sour Pork Bondiola and Sweet Potato Recipe

Ingredients:

For the bondiola:

• 2kg (4lb) bondiola
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 red onions, diced
• 5 tbsp honey
• 1lt (35oz) dark beer
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 4 bay leaves
• Salt to taste

For the boniato potatoes:

• 4 boniato potatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tsp lard 

Directions:

For the bondiola:

1. Grind and combine the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, star anise and black pepper. Incorporate the paprika and the oil. Stir and set the marinade aside.
2. Cut the bondiola into 4cm thick (1.5in) slices. Season with salt on both sides and brush with the marinade.
3. Heat the disk grill and sear the bondiola on both sides. Add the garlic and ginger, followed by the onion and bell peppers. Stir-fry for five minutes. Add the honey and stir to coat. 
4. Deglaze the pan with soy sauce and dark beer, and add the mustard and bay leaves. Cook for 40 more minutes over a medium flame.

For the boniato potatoes:

1. Rinse and pat the boniatos dry. Season with salt and pepper and wrap with aluminum foil with a crushed garlic clove and a teaspoon of lard. 
2. Cook over the embers, often turning for around 30 minutes or until fork-tender. Unwrap and cut in half.