How To Make Cuban Pot Roast Stuffed With Ham,"Boliche" Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. roast
• 6 large garlic gloves, crushed well
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 lb. ground ham
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1" slice of tomato, cut into quarters
• 10 whole black peppers
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dry white cooking wine
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix garlic with the salt and ground pepper. 
2. Pierce all around, with a thin sharp knife.
3. Using half the garlic mixture, stuff holes. 
4. Using a long, sharp knife, cut an "X" through the center of the roast, length-wise, to make a cavity for the ham. 
5. Pack this cavity with the ground ham. 
6. Spread any leftover garlic mixture on the surface of the roast.
7. In a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil. 
8. Brown the roast on all sides. 
9. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. 
10. Cover and lower the heat to a slow simmer. 
11. Cook for 2-1/2 hours, turning the roast every half hour or so. 
12. Slice and garnish with the sauce. Makes 6-8 portions.

How To Make Costillitas, Cuban Style Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6-8 lb lean baby back pork ribs
• 8 Cloves of garlic
• Juice of 3 large lemons
• 1/4 tsp. ground oregano
• 1 cup sour orange juice
• (Or 1 Cup of Orange Juice with the juice of 1 large lime ( I use 1/2 & 1/2 of each)
• 5 tsp of salt
• 2 teaspoon of olive oil

Directions:

1. Cut the ribs in 5 to 7 inches sections. 
2. Wash well under faucet and dry thoroughly with paper towel. 
3. Smash the garlic cloves in a mortar or garlic press.
4. Mix the sour orange juice, lime juice, oregano, garlic, olive oil and 1/ 2 teaspoon of salt. 
5. Set aside about 1/2 cup of this mix ( the marinating sauce) to be used when serving.
6. Place ribs in a large non-metal container and pour the rest of mix over the ribs. 
7. Rub the remaining salt thoroughly on all surfaces of the ribs. 
8. Place in the refrigerator and let stand for 2 to 3 hours.
9. Set you gas or charcoal grill to low and place ribs so that they are not exposed to direct flame. 
10. Cook slowly for about 30 - 45 minutes. 
11. Time will depend on the temperature of the your grill .
12. Cook very slowly to insure tenderness. 
13. Turn ribs once or twice while cooking. 
14. Once they are cooked, increase the heat to high or in the case of a charcoal grill place ribs over direct high charcoal heat in order to brown. 
15. Turn as needed to brown both sides well.
16. Serve with black beans and rice

How to Make Cuban Imperial Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (skinned and deboned)
• 1 cup rice
• 1 can tomato paste (4 oz)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1/2 cup bell pepper (diced)
• 1/2 cup white onion (diced)
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• Olive oil
• Dash of salt
• Dash of red pepper

Directions:

1. Wash chicken breasts and add to a large pot, adding water until the chicken is completely covered. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add minced garlic clove, and cook uncovered until the chicken is cooked.
2. Remove chicken, and save the broth in the pot. Shred the chicken into large chunks using two forks, then set aside.
3. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a saucepan over low heat. Add the diced bell pepper and onion, saute until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and chicken, bringing mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add peas, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Mix in a dash of salt and red pepper, remove from heat and set aside.
4. Add cup of rice to the chicken broth mixture, and one teaspoon of ground annatto seed or achiote paste (for color). Cover pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the rice absorbs most of the broth. Add mayonnaise to the cooked rice, mixing well.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread half of your rice mixture to the bottom of a glass baking dish. Add the shredded chicken on top of the rice, creating a layer. Add the remaining rice mixture to the top of the chicken, pressing down with a spatula to make everything firm and even. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the last layer. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, remove before cheese starts to brown.
6. Optional: Add a thin layer of mayo to the top layer of rice after removing from oven. It sounds unusual, but it's an extremely popular way for Cubans to enjoy this dish.

How to Make Cuban Arroz con Pollo Recipe

I guess one of the most beloved of chicken dishes in Cuba, Arroz con Pollo can make any meal special. The rice for this dish is short-grained Valencia-style rice, the same as used for Paella, another of the wonderful Spanish dishes that have found a home in many of the Latin American Countries. If you cannot find it in your area, the Italian Arborio rice will be a good substitute.

Unlike Paella, saffron is not traditionally used in Arroz con Pollo, although some people do. Instead they use Annatto Oil, to give the yellow coloring expected in this dish. Sometimes you can find yellow rice already packaged. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces.
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Sofrito and broth:

• 2 Tbsp Annatto oil or olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
• 3 cups water (*)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1-1/2 cups beer
• 1/2 tsp annatto seeds, or 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb Valencia or Arborio rice
• Sliced red pimientos for garnish
• Can of green peas (Petit Pois) for garnish

Directions:

Preparations:

1. Wash the chicken and blot dry with paper towels. Mix the oregano, cumin, white pepper and vinegar in a large glass bowl. Add the chicken, turning the pieces to cover with the mixture. Let marinate at least 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large heatproof casserole (**) Brown the chicken pieces all over, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

For sofrito:

1. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the oil in the casserole, cook over medium heat heat until soft but do not brown, about 1 or 2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for one more minute. Return the chicken to the casserole with the sofrito and cook for about 1 or 2 more minutes.
2. Add the water, wine and beer(*), saffron (if you use it instead of annatto oil), tomato paste and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, place annato seeds in small saucepan with 1/4 cup of the chicken cooking liquid. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain mixture back into the chicken.

To finish the dish:

1. Thoroughly wash rice swishing with your hands, and drain off the water. Continue doing this until water runs clear.
2. Bring chicken mixture to a boil, stir in the washed rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. If it starts to dry out and rice is still al dente, add more liquid. If it gets too soupy, uncover during the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking.
3. Just before it is done, stir in half of the petit pois and pimientos. Garnish with the rest.

(*) I use only the beer, adjusting the quantity to the total needed for cooking. Beer gives it a nice tangy flavor.

(**)I have a clay paella dish which I use for Arroz con Pollo, Paella and other similar dishes. You can purchase them in many Latino markets.

How To Make Cuban Caribbean Coconut Chicken recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped roasted garlic
• 1/2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Directionns:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, fry chicken breast in vegetable oil until the chicken just begins to brown. 
3. Stir onions, green bell peppers and red bell peppers into the skillet with the chicken.
4. Saute until the onions are translucent. 
5. When the vegetables are translucent, stir in the garlic and coconut milk. 
6. Let the mixture cook 5 to 8 minutes before removing the skillet from the heat. 
7. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
8. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in a 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables cook down and the chicken is tender.

How To Make White Rice with Cuban Black Beans (Arroz Moro) Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can of black beans
• 2-3 cups of already cooked white rice
• 1/3 cup of sofrito casero (Blend onion, bell pepper, garlic and cilantro til puree)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and a drizzle of apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 cup of beer or broth
• 1/2 can tomato sauce

Directions:

1. In a pot, add olive oil and sautee garlic and sofrito for a minute.
2. Add salt, pepper, cumin and oregano to sofrito and mix. 
3. Add beans and mix well. 
4. Add tomato sauce and beer or broth and mix.
5. After 5 minutes, add apple cider vinegar and stir. 
6. Add 2-3 cups of already cooked white rice (at room temperature) and mix well. 
7. Cook until all is absorbed (about 10-15 minutes).
8. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
9. Black beans and rice cooked together with spices.

How To Make Cuban Breaded Steak Recipe (Receta de Bistec Empanizado)

Ingredients:

• 4 steaks (1/4 inch thick)
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup sour orange juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, beaten well
• 1 cup finely ground crackers, salt to taste
• 1/2 onion, sliced into rings
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Sprinkle steaks with chopped onion, garlic, orange juice and salt. 
2. Rub garlic into meat. 
3. Marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator. 
4. Brush off the onion pieces and dip each steak into the egg to make sure its fully coated.
5. Dip the steak into the crackers, making sure that the ground crackers completely cover the steak.
6. Fry the steaks in cooking oil on medium heat until golden brown and well done.
7. Serve with a few onion rings.

serves 4.

How To Make Bacán recipe - Cuban Green Banana Meat Pie Recipe

Bacán is a dish that is made only in the region of Baracoa, the town on the North coast of the far East of the island of Cuba. This region, which is extremely difficult to reach by land, was isolated from the rest of the island for a long time and has some customs that have more in common with other Caribbean islands than Cuba itself; amongst these customs is the use of coconut milk in cooking.

The region produces a great deal of fruit including the coconut and the "guineo", the local name for bananas. Bacán is a small pasty (pie) made with green bananas mixed with coconut milk and seasoned with garlic and lime. The pasty can be filled with pork as in this recipe, or with stewed crab or smoked meat. The pasties are cooked wrapped in banana leaves and are eaten either at lunch or with milky coffee for breakfast.

Ingredients:

For the Pork Stuffing:

• 9 ounces lean pork meat
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 3/4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon white wine

For the Wrapping:

• 1 banana leaf
• 7 green bananas (approximately 4 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon annatto powder or oil
• 7 tablespoons coconut milk

Directions:

For the pork stuffing:

1. Dice the meat into 3/4 inch cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the meat for approximately 15 minutes until golden. 
3. Add the onion, the pepper, and the garlic first crushed in a mortar. 
4. Saute on a low heat for 3 minutes then add the tomato. 
5. Cook for 6-8 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and add the wine. Season with salt. 
6. Cover and cook for around 10 minutes on low heat until the meat is tender and swimming in a thick vegetable sauce.

For the wrapping:

1. Cut the banana leaf into eight rectangles 7 x 10 inches, and eight 3 x 10 inches. 
2. Wash the pieces of banana leaf well and boil them in water for 1 minute so that they lose their stiffness and become malleable.
3. Dry them well.Peel the bananas by making incisions along each fruit then removing the strips of skin one by one. 
4. Grate the bananas on a fine blade, then add the lime juice, the crushed garlic, and the annatto powder combined with the coconut milk. 
5. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
6. The mixture will not be very thick but it will thicken up once it has been cooked in the banana leaves.
7. Place two pieces of banana leaf, one of each size, on the countertop, in the shape of a cross. 
8. Place two tablespoons of the banana mixture in the middle and a line of the stewed meat on top. 
9. Fold the leaves over to form a little rectangular packet and tie like a parcel with kitchen string. 
10. Cook the bacán in plenty of boiling water for 30 minutes then drain. 
11. They can be served in their wrapping or the banana leaves can be removed before serving them on a dish. Bacáns can also be eaten cold although they are not as tasty.

Serves 8

How to Make Cuban Ajiaco Recipe

This dish is very hearty, so it should be eaten with nothing else except bread and a light fruit dessert. This recipe will feed 20, but you can cut in half and it can be frozen in batches.

Ingredients:

• 10 quarts water
• 1 lb beef jerky (tasajo)
• 2 lbs flank steak, cubed
• 2 lbs pork, cubed
• 2 lbs pork spare ribs, separated (optional)
• 1 3lb hen, cut up
• 4 ears corn, cut in fourths
• 2 lbs malanga (a yellow taro) peeled, cut in chunks
• 4 green plantains (soaked in lime juice) peeled, cut in chunks
• 2 lbs yuca (frozen or fresh) peeled, cut in chunks
• 2 lbs Cuban boniato (sweet potato, not yam) peeled, cut in chunks
• 2 lbs pumpkin, peeled, cut in chunks
• 1 lb ñame (a white taro) peeled, cut in chunks
• 1 lb guagui (a greyish taro) peeled, cut in chunks
• 4 ripe plantains, peeled, cut in chunks
• 4 limes for soaking green plantains
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Sofrito

Directions:

The day before:

• Cut the beef jerky in large pieces and soak in water to cover. Soak overnight.

Next day:

1. drain and place in a very large and deep stockpot. 
2. Add the 10 quarts of water and the cut up hen. 
3. Boil for one hour. 
4. Add the flank steak and pork pieces. 
5. Add the spare ribs. 
6. Boil for one more hours. 
7. Remove fat and froth that will rise to top.
8. While meats are cooking, make the "sofrito", peel and cut the "viandas" (vegetables). 
9. When meats are tender, add the viandas, except ripe plantains and pumpkin. 
10. Cook about one more hour.
11. Add the sofrito and cook another 20-30 minutes. 
12. Add the ripe plantains and pumpkin and cook 30 more minutes or until pumpkin and plantains are tender. 
13. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
14. If broth is too thin, thicken by mashing some of the viandas in a little broth and adding it back to the pot. 
15. Serve in a large soup tureen and give each guest a large, flat rimmed soup bowl.
16. You can place lime slices in little dishes along the table. 
17. The ajiaco tastes really good with freshly squeezed lime juice, but let each guest decide if they would like to squirt their own.

More Recipes:

How to Make Cuban Achiote Marinated Baby Chickens Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package achiote paste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 2 Poussins or baby chickens
• 4 large links of hard dried Spanish chorizo
• 1 Spanish onion, diced
• 5 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch mustard greens, cleaned, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 Idaho potato, peeled, diced and blanched
• 2 tablespoons green olives, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine in a food processor achiote paste, olive oil, cumin, coriander, oregano and the 1 tablespoon of garlic. 
2. Make sure to puree all these ingredients until it becomes a paste. 
3. Rub the marinade inside the chicken cavities, underneath the skin, as well as, outside. 
4. Allow the chickens to marinade overnight, refrigerated.
5. Next day, heat up a large saute pan. 
6. Add chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, until crispy, then add onion and 4 tablespoons of garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. 
7. Add mustard greens and deglaze with chicken stock. 
8. Cook for 2 minutes until greens have wilted, then add potato, green olives and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
9. Once the stuffing has cooled distribute it equally into the chickens and place them on a sheet with a rack. 
10. Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour.

Yield: 4 servings

Cooking Time: 1 hours 15 minutes.