Cuban Sandwich

2 loaves Cuban bread (Ciabatta also would work as it has a wide and slightly flat shape)
1 lb good quality ham (a sweet cured ham, or one with a mild flavor)
1 lb lechon asado (Cuban roast pork)

1/2 lb Swiss cheese

Sliced dill pickles
Cuban mojo
Yellow mustard

Butter


To make 6 sandwiches:

Slice bread in half one time lengthwise and three times through its width (to have 6 pieces for each loaf). Butter inside of bread.

Layer mustard, pickles, ham, pork, mojo and cheese onto sandwich. Cover with top piece of bread.

Lightly oil and heat a large cast iron pan over medium to medium-high heat.

Place the sandwich on hot pan (you can probably cook 2 sandwiches at a time if your pan is large). Place a clean heavy skillet on top and push down to really flatten the bread.

Cook the sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side, making sure that the bread does not burn (turn heat down if bread is cooking to quickly) and cheese melts. Remove from heat and slice sandwich diagonally to serve.

Black Bean, Red Bell Pepper and Shrimp Stew

This is pretty similar to my vegan black beans and rice recipe. In this version, I add red bell pepper, corn and shrimp to the beans, creating a healthy Caribbean stew served with white rice that is a bit lighter than its beans-only version. (Photos will be posted tonight!) Other fun option would be the addition of sweet plantains or chorizo to the black bean soup.

Ingredients:

1 1 lb bag dried black beans
4 cups chicken stock
2 onions, diced
1 head garlic, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup frozen corn
1 lb large shrimp, de-veined and peeled
4 cups cooked white rice
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 avocados

Rinse beans very well in cold water and let drain. Put in large stew pot and cover with water, so that there is about 3 inches of water above beans. Let beans soak overnight or 8 hours.

Drain beans and rinse well and drain again. (For some reason, the rinsing gets rid of most of the substance that gives people indigestion).

Heat olive oil in stew pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic. Turn heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables have softened.

Add tomato paste, spices, and vinegar and cook 3 minutes.

Add beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Turn beans down to soft boil and cook 3-4 hours, or until they are almost soft enough to eat.

Stir in frozen corn, and bring to a soft boil. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink.

Scoop white rice onto plates. Ladle soup over rice. Serve with sliced avocado and lime wedges.

Mojito Mania - Raspberry, Guava and Mango Mojitos

Ingredients for traditional Mojito:

1/2 shot simple syrup 1 1/2 oz white rum 1 oz fresh lime juice
8 mint leaves 1 splash seltzer
Ice

Muddle mint leaves with rum. In cocktail shaker, add rum, mint, ice, simple syrup and lime juice. Shake vigorously and pour into glass. Pour splash seltzer into cocktail shaker and mix around, then pour over mojito. Garnish with lime wedge.


Variations:


Mango Mojito:

Use 2 oz mango flavored rum in place of white rum. Add a few pieces of diced mango when muddling.


Raspberry Mojito:

Add 10 raspberries to mint and rum. Muddle well, then finish like normal mojito.


Guava mojito:

Add 1 oz guava nectar and increase rum to 2 oz.

Tostones

I love tostones: crunchy, green plantains that been sliced then deep fried twice, then salted generously. I first got into them while studying in Havana and they remain a favorite comfort food. They are pretty easy to make and add the last needed touch for a plate of rice and beans or ropa vieja

Ingredients:
3 to 4 large unripe (green) or barely ripe (slightly yellow) plantains
about 2 cups olive or canola oil for frying

Wash plantains and cut off ends with a sharp nice. Slice lengthwise through skin to remove peel. Slice into 1 inch round pieces. In a large skillet heat 1/2 inch oil over medium heat until just hot enough to sizzle when plantains are added. Fry in batches, without crowding, until tender and just golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Carefully transfer plantains as fried to paper towels to drain.

Remove skillet from heat and reserve oil. Using the bottom of a saucepan or something similar, flatten plantains to 1/4 inch thick. Dip plantains in bowl of salted water and drain them well on paper towels.

Heat reserved oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking and fry flattened plantains in batches, without crowding, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer tostones to paper towels to drain and and salt before serving.

Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef Stew)

Like many of my favorite foods, I first tried ropa vieja during my semester in Havana, Cuba. Meat is scarce on the island, both due to its economic situation and more so (this is a less known fact) because the government saves meat and fish to be sold at hotels/tourist restaurants). Originally this dish was prepared using whatever leftover meat Cubans had on hand, then vegetables and seasoning were added to give the dish flavor. Using leftovers (of anything) is 100% Cuban. See my post on making Batidos for a cartoon that explains the innovative Cuban spirit.

Ingredients:
3 lbs skirt or flank steak (you can substitute chuck steak, not traditional but saves $$$) .
8 cups water
2 large carrots, chopped
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 head garlic, cloves cut into 1/4ths
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

2 green bell peppers, cut into long thin strips
1 large Vidalia onion, cut into long thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups leftover braising liquid
a 14 oz can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 head garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 red bell peppers, cut into long thin strips
1 yellow bell peppers, cut into long thin strips
1 orange bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped Spanish olives stuffed with pimento
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine water, steak, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, spices, bay leaf and freshly ground black pepper in large stew pot. Bring to simmer and cook about 2 hours, or until meat falls apart easily using a fork. Remove meat from liquid and cool. Strain liquid from pot into another large stew pot, discard vegetables, etc than remain in strainer.

Clean & dry original stew pot. Heat up olive oil over medium-high heat Add green pepper, onion strips and garlic and turn to medium. Saute 7-10 minutes, until soft. While peppers and onion are cooking, shred cooled meat. Add tomatoes to stew pot. Simmer 10 minutes. Add meat, cumin, paprika and oregano. Add braising liquid. Bring to a simmer and let cook 1 hour. Add red, orange and yellow bell pepper strips and cook 30 minutes. Add thawed peas and chopped olives. Cook another 30 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread or over saffron rice. Stew is even better next day and can be kept refrigerated 3-5 days or frozen.

The photograph, sadly, is not mine...I have to find time to make a Cuban meal sometime soon, but having a Dominican boyfriend...that cuisine has taken precedence as of late. This great photo is on Flickr and is by graphics.jsonline.com>

Batidos de Mamey

"Hurry, wife, Fidel is going to tell us how to make mamey milkshakes without mamey, milk or a blender!"

Batidos de mamey may be amongst my top ten favorite things to eat/drink. In Havana, they were made of sugar, powdered milk, ice and chunks of mamey, a tropical fruit that has deep orange flesh and tastes kind of like a strawberry, but more muted. It's delicious and hard to find in the States, minus as frozen pulp in Latino markets.

To make your own batido de mamey:

One 14 oz. package of frozen mamey pulp
1 1 /2 cups whole milk
About 1 cup of ice cubes
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Puree everything in food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

You can make batidos with most any fruit. Mango, Papaya (fruta bomba in Cuba), Guanabana or more local fruits. SO FREAKING GOOD. And I will have one every day in Santo Domingo (where mamey is called sapote).

Guava and Mango Paté

Ingredients:

2 cups mangos (from 2 ripe mangos or 2 cups of frozen chunks, thawed)
1 cup thawed Goya guava pulp
1 envelope plus 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/3-1/2 cup sugar (for sweeter mangos, use less sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces of cream cheese, cut into small chunks and allowed to warm to room temperature

Puree mangos in blender until smooth. Pour into medium mixing bowl. Pour guava pulp into another medium mixing bowl.

In small pyrex bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and let soften for about 5 minutes. Place pyrex bowl in small saucepan. Add water to pan until it reaches about 1 inch below pyrex top. Simmer water until gelatin has dissolved.

At the same time, heat cream and sugar in clean saucepan until almost boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese chunks until most has melted. Whisk in vanilla and gelatin. Pour 2/3 mixture into mango puree. Using mixer, beat until mixture is incorporated. Pour remaining 1/3 cream mixture into guava and beat to incorporate. Taste mixtures for sugar; add more if needed.

Pour mango puree into square or round glass baking pan (about 9x9). Pour guava mixture slowly on top, swirling into mango (this makes it look pretty).

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Puerco Asado (Cuban Pork Roast)

Since home is many miles and many dollars away, it just makes more sense to stay in Boston for Thanksgiving. The BF will be here as he has school and is from the Caribbean (lucky ba$tard).
SO, I am going to make a Cuban pork roast with a mojo dipping sauce, paired with rice and peas (arroz con guandules), maduros (fried sweet plantains) and probably an apple pie, just because I do love apple pie. A little apprehensive about dealing with an entire pig shoulder, skin on (ew) but I have eaten puerco asado and it is REALLY tender and delicious.

The ingredients:
6 cups bitter orange juice (sold at Platanero in Dudley Square, or probably at any of the small shops in Jamaica Plain)
Zest of bitter orange
1/3 cup fresh oregano
2 heads of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bone-in pork shoulder (mine was 9 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash and peel garlic cloves. Coarsely chop garlic. Add 1/4 of garlic to juice and zest.

Wash and mince oregano. Add 1/2 to juice.

Make small slits in pork skin and push garlic under skin. Whisk together the oil and remaining oregano in a large roasting pan, add the pork and turn to coat. Pour citrus marinade over pork. Cover, and let marinate overnight in refrigerator, covered.

Preheat oven to 450. Season pork with pepper and generously rub with salt, to help crisp skin. Place in large roasting pan, on bottom rack of oven. . Cook 30 minutes. Remove from oven, turn heat down to 250. Pour marinade over pork. Cover with aluminum foil. Baste every 45 minutes or so with marinade. Cook 8 hours. Turn heat to 350 degrees and remove foil, cook additional hour or until internal temperature reads at least 170 degrees. Roast should be falling off of shoulder bone.

Remove pork from oven, let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

Update: After gorging ourselves with pork and the fixings...we cut off the remaining meat. I weighed myself, then weighed myself with a tupperware full of meat. We had 3.4 pounds of leftover pork. Makes a delicious Cuban sandwich...mmm...