The ’panini’ has become hugely popular as a cheaper alternative to the hot meal and there are a wonderful variety of fillings and breads to choose from, writes Adam Gilbert. Here is another fantastic hot sandwich concept that has been filling the stomachs of Mexicans for hundreds of years and is about to fill ours.

The burrito is a wonderful type of sandwich and, at the SoHo Sandwich Co, we have been working closely with our Mexican partner, Chilango, to develop a great selection of interesting fillings, using classic Mexican ingredients.

These sandwiches are not for the faint of heart: they are extremely well-filled, very spicy and totally different to any other sandwich sold on our shores.

My particular favourite is the Slow Roasted Shredded Pork and Black Bean Burrito, which is just bursting with unusual textures and flavours, and really is a fantastic alternative to the panini. For this recipe we use shoulder of pork, which we rub in a wonderful mixture of spices and seal in a hot pan. Once sealed, we place in large chafing dishes and pour over our very special stock, made using smoked chipotle chillies, Mexican oregano and beef stock, among other things.

The pork is then slowly cooked for about five hours until soft, tender and bursting with these unusual Mexican flavours. It is then shredded and chilled.

Next we combine the black beans with the shredded pork, freshly-made tomato salsa and classic guacamole, which are all placed inside a warm floured tortilla to make this fantastic burrito - a great alternative to your regular panini.