There are sandwiches, and then there’s La Bestia.
This one is around one metre long, starts with a 2.5kg loaf of bread and is packed with roughly four kilos of raw pork before the other ingredients are even added.
It’s the sort of sandwich that makes you wonder whether “I’ll just have a quick bite” has gone slightly too far.
Meet La Bestia
The monster sandwich is served at El Punto Gordo, on Camino La Hornera, 127, in La Laguna.
The bread alone weighs around 2.5 kilos and measures approximately one metre in length. It’s specially made for the restaurant by Panadería Guanche e Hijos.
Then comes the filling.
La Bestia contains around four kilos of pork, along with plenty of yellow cheese, red onion and a homemade sauce said to have similarities to traditional Canarian red mojo.
So yes, it’s quite a substantial snack.
A challenge for 20 people
This isn’t really intended as someone’s solo lunch.
El Punto Gordo recommends getting a group of friends or family together to tackle it, with the restaurant promoting a deal for 20 people at €20 per person.
The offer includes a portion of La Bestia and unlimited beer.
Twenty people.
One sandwich.
Unlimited beer.
I’m not sure whether that’s a meal or a team-building exercise, but at least nobody can complain that the portions were a bit small.
One of Tenerife’s biggest sandwiches
The restaurant promotes La Bestia as “the biggest sandwich in Europe”, although there doesn’t appear to be independent certification confirming that claim.
What isn’t really up for debate is the size.
A one-metre loaf containing several kilos of bread and meat and designed to feed around 20 people is well beyond your average bocadillo.
If you’re looking for something slightly more ambitious than a ham and cheese sandwich, La Bestia certainly fits the bill.
Just don’t turn up alone.