23 March 7-March 13th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | FULL BAR! BILLS OF $50 OR MORE Dine-In or Take Out Not Including Combinations Dinner Only Expires 12/31/24 Closed On Tuesdays $5 OFF 2050 N. Alma School Rd., #36 • 480.857.4188 Oddly enough, it may or may not even be Puerto Rican. Juan Figueroa of Borinquen Restaurant in Chicago lays claim to the jibarito’s invention, circa 1996. He cops to having once read about a similar sandwich in a Puerto Rican newspaper, but after Figueroa’s version became a regional phenomenon, journalists and researchers were unable to track down a definitive precursor on the island. The jibarito’s finer points may vary from place to place, but Diaz’s rendition checks all of the essential boxes. It starts with a pile of succulent pernil — roasted pork shoulder marinated with citrus and herbs. He adds shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and onion and a healthy swipe of garlicky mayonnaise. The kicker, though, is that in place of bread, a jibarito is built with thick slabs of crispy fried plantains. Juicy, tender meat meets crisp, cool vegetables, the plantains lend crunch and a light, fruity lift and rich mayonnaise with the pungent pop of garlic puts it over the top. This is not a sandwich to be trifled with. And it’s in good company. The pavo, Cubano and tripleta — pick your meats — are all dynamite pressed sandwiches. The tripleta includes turkey, roasted pork and ham layered with cheese in Diaz’s pan sobao, pressed until thin, dense and crisp. And don’t get hung up on whether the Cubano is Miami-style or Tampa-style or whatever. It’s its own style, and it’s delicious. Let’s leave it at that. I’m also a sucker for the mayorca, a cheesy ham and egg sandwich on thick, fluffy bread. It’s dusted with powdered sugar and almost plays like a cousin to a Monte Cristo, sweet and savory and oozing with golden egg yolk. Plenty of pork Meanwhile, the parade of meat and starch keeps on coming. Chuletas, or seasoned pork chops, turn out much better than I’d have guessed. Cooked to a deep mahogany brown, you’d think they’d be reduced to shoe leather, but they maintain a nice, tender bite and plenty of juicy fat. And the soupy beans they arrive with — spicy and rich with a deep, developed flavor — will melt any Sonoran cowpoke’s heart. You wouldn’t be out of line to dip the chuletas in a bit of mayoketchup. Here’s a zippy pink sauce that’s practically ubiqui- tous in Puerto Rico, and you’ll never guess what the two main ingredients are. Dad jokes aside, mayoketchup is more than a bare-bones frankencondiment. The base is exactly what you expect, but it’s also loaded with a healthy shot of acid, like vinegar or citrus, and in true Puerto Rican fashion, plenty of garlic. For other dishes, you might prefer a splash of pique — a hot, chile-infused vinegar seasoned with garlic and oregano. It’s the perfect way to perk up lechon a la vara, another weekend special. Diaz roasts a whole sucking pig and serves up its tender, shredded meat along with thick, crunchy slabs of roasted skin. A splash of spicy vinegar plays perfectly off the piglet’s fatty richness. Sweet and simple If there’s room, Diaz serves plenty of humble, no-frills desserts. Tornillos are tornado-shaped sheets of crisp puff pastry wrapped around a custardy cream core, while pastelillos de guava layer the same pastry with a sticky sweet tropical paste. The texture of the bread pudding is a little homogenous, but the cream cheese flan is simple and satisfying. Diaz’s quesitos feel like the right way to finish a meal at Raices. Puff pastry surrounds a lightly sweetened cream cheese filling before it’s brushed with a sugary egg wash and baked until caramel- ized. Diaz serves them hot and crispy and a little bit sticky. You might need a couple for the road. Just flag down Diaz as he goes speeding by. Raices Restaurant 1916 W. Baseline Road, Mesa raicesrestaurantecoffeebar.com 10 a.m.-8 p.m. every day Starters $4-$7.50; Sandwiches $7-$14; Mains $10-$20; Desserts $2-$5. The ensalada de camaron pairs lightly dressed shrimp with crisp tostones. (Photo by Dominic Armato) Picking Up the Torch from p 21