- Bad Bunny’s favorite sandwich, tripletas, is a Puerto Rican classic with three meats.
- Tripletas stack bistek, ham and roasted pork with crispy toppings for big, bold flavor.
- The singer says he imagines eating lots of tripletas as part of his ideal retirement.
Another day, another classic edition of the “Colbert Questionnert.” On a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, our favorite halftime show performer, Bad Bunny, answered Colbert’s notoriously probing questions.
As always, the first hard-hitting question was: What is the best sandwich? Benito had a quick answer and said, without hesitation, tripletas was his pick for the best sandwich. He even mentioned the dish when Colbert asked him to describe the rest of his life in a few words, saying he plans to eat plenty of these sandwiches once he’s happily retired and living in Puerto Rico.
“What’s in there?” Colbert asked him. Bad Bunny replied: “Everything that you want.”
While that seems like a tall order, as it turns out, he might just be right. Tripletas are a classic Puerto Rican staple, so it makes sense that the Puerto Rican artist loves this taste of home. As the name suggests, it’s known for containing three cuts of meat. First up is tenderized bistec, also known as pan-seared cube steak, skirt steak or minute steak. (Though some other cuts of beef are sometimes used in tripletas.) Next, you have sliced deli ham. Finally, there’s pernil, or shredded pork roast. The meat is seasoned with a blend of irresistible spices, including adobo, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and oregano.
For toppings, tripletas often have a mayo, mustard and ketchup combo along with potato matchsticks, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and Swiss or muenster cheese. The sandwich is typically served on pan sobao, a soft, chewy bread popular in Puerto Rico. Unlike a basic bun, however, pan sobao is a little sweet due to the addition of some sugar. In a pinch, you could swap in soft Italian bread to make your own version at home.
To assemble, spread the mayo mixture on both sides of the bread and then layer the meat and cheese so that the cheese becomes like a glue that melts and holds everything together. Top with the veggies and potato sticks, wrap the whole thing in foil to hold it together, and enjoy.
Since it’s a hearty meal all by itself, there aren’t traditional sides for tripletas, though some simple potato chips may come with the meal—at the Freakin Rican in New York, the sandwich is served with fries. You could opt to include a twist on a potato salad or, for extra greens, add a side salad on the plate along with the meat-heavy main attraction. (Some tostones with dipping sauce would also be a tasty choice.)
This meat lover’s sandwich is a flavorful favorite—honestly, we wish we could go back in time and add it to our Super Bowl menus. Instead, we’ll settle for digging into these sandwiches and watching the halftime show all over again.
