Thepepito is asandwich prepared withbeef,pork, orchicken[1] originating fromSpain and also very popular inLatin America. It is a commonstreet food inVenezuela[2] and is also available at some U.S. restaurants. For the beef version, variouscuts of beef are used, and myriad additional ingredients can also be used in its preparation.
The pepito is prepared with grilledbeef tenderloin,flank steak,rib eye steak orstrip steak,refried beans, black beans or pinto beans, and a soft roll, bun or baguette as primary ingredients.[3][4][5][2][6]Chicken meat is also used sometimes.[7]
Additional ingredients used can be myriad, including but not limited to eggs, cheese, lettuce, sliced or diced tomato, sliced avocado, guacamole, guasacaca (an avocado-basedrelish), garlic, cilantro, olives, jalapeño or pickled jalapeño peppers, onions,caramelized onions, or sautéed onions, crema or mayonnaise, butter, olive oil, fresh lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, mustard, cumin, salt and pepper.[3][5][2][6][8][9]
Some versions of the sandwich have a significant amount of toppings and garnishes,[7][9] while others are simpler preparations using only the base ingredients and a few additional ingredients.[3][4][5]
The pepito is a commonstreet food in Venezuela and originates inBarquisimeto, the capital of the state ofLara in Venezuela. The pepito is one of the most popular street foods in Venezuela.[a][2] It is purveyed at some restaurants and department stores inMexico City.[3] In Venezuela, they are sometimes sold bystreet vendors, who often provide several sauces that can be added atop the sandwich.[7][9] The customer can typically tell the vendor what ingredients and toppings to use on the sandwich in Venezuela.[7]
Bars with a kitchen often offer apepito de ternera (beef sandwich), cooked on demand.The name has extended to other sandwiches.Those made ofcured pork tenderloin are also calledmontado de lomo.Variations adding pressed ham andcheese,bacon, fried, roasted or preservedpeppers are also common.Teodoro Bardají Mas, a cuisine historian and cook, offered anorigin story in an article in the weeklyEllas.[10]
At theCafé de Fornos ofMadrid, one of the sons of the founder was namedJosé Fornos and nicknamedPepito. One day he asked for a hot sandwich instead of alunch meat one. He was served a beef sandwich. When other Fornos customers asked for "one like Pepito's", the name caught.[11]
Some restaurants in theUnited States purvey the pepito, such as inMiami,Chicago,Illinois,California,Atlanta and other U.S. cities.[4][6][8][12]
In Spanish, apepito can also be an elongatedbun filled withcream orchocolate.[1]
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