Despite the name, the pamplona has nothing to do with Spain beyond a family visit. It was created in 1963 by Rosendo Rodríguez, a butcher at the Granja Florida shop in the town of Florida, in the heart of Uruguay, who rolled tender veal around ham, bacon, egg, peppers, olives and cheese, wrapped it in a fine pork membrane and put it on the grill. Relatives visiting from Pamplona gave it its name, and the dish went on to become a fixture of the Uruguayan parrillada, so much so that Punta del Este holds an annual festival in honor of the pamplona and the chivito together.

Today it is made with pork, beef, lamb and rabbit, but chicken is the version most families know best. Thin pieces of chicken are spread with filling, rolled into fat cylinders, cooked gently over low embers and finally given a turn on the open grill to color. Sliced at the table, each round shows its stripes of ham, cheese and red pepper. It is grill food with good manners: no bones, no gristle, and nobody fighting over the best cut.

An oven turns out a perfectly good pamplona, so a rainy race weekend is no excuse.

Rolling the pamplonas

Ingredients

• 4 large, about 2 lb (900 g) total boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 slices, about 4 oz (115 g) cooked ham
• 4 oz (115 g) low moisture mozzarella or mild semi firm cheese
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 roasted red bell pepper
• 8 pitted green olives

Method

1. Lay one chicken thigh, smooth side down, between two sheets of plastic wrap on the board. Tap it firmly with the flat side of the mallet or the rolling pin, working outwards from the thickest part, until it is an even 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Repeat with the rest. Try not to tear the meat.
2. Remove the top sheets of plastic. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper and oregano, and spread the chopped garlic over it with the back of a spoon.
3. On each piece, lay a slice of ham, leaving a small border all round. Place two cheese sticks across the short end nearest you, then a few strips of red pepper and four olive halves along the middle.
4. Starting from the cheese end, roll each piece up firmly, tucking in the sides as you go. Wrap a slice of bacon in a spiral around the outside of each roll. Tie each roll with twine in three places, or pin the bacon and seam closed with two or three toothpicks.

Cooking on the grill or in the oven

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sunflower or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Method

1. Cut four squares of foil, each about 12 inches (30 cm), and brush the shiny side with oil. Place a roll on each, wrap it up snugly like a wrapped candy and twist the ends closed.
2. On a charcoal grill, spread the coals and wait until they are covered in grey ash and you can hold your hand 5 inches (13 cm) above the grate for 6 to 7 seconds. On a gas grill, set the burners to medium low. Put the parcels on the grate, close the lid and cook for 15 minutes, then turn them and cook for 15 minutes more. In the oven, bake the parcels on the baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Stir the paprika into the melted butter. Carefully open the parcels, watching for steam, and lift out the rolls. Brush them all over with the paprika butter and put them directly on the grate over medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes. In the oven, raise the heat to 425°F (220°C) and return the unwrapped rolls on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
4. Move the rolls to the serving board and rest them for 5 minutes. Snip off the twine or pull out the toothpicks and cut each roll into rounds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.

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