Bacán (green banana meat pie)

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/bacan.html

Serves 8.

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.

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

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

Preparation:

For the pork stuffing:

Dice the meat into 3/4 inch cubes. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the meat for approximately 15 minutes until golden. Add the onion, the pepper, and the garlic first crushed in a mortar. Saute on a low heat for 3 minutes then add the tomato. Cook for 6-8 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and add the wine. Season with salt. 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:

Cut the banana leaf into eight rectangles 7 x 10 inches, and eight 3 x 10 inches. Wash the pieces of banana leaf well and boil them in water for 1 minute so that they lose their stiffness and become malleable. Dry them well.

Peel the bananas by making incisions along each fruit then removing the strips of skin one by one. Grate the bananas on a fine blade, then add the lime juice, the crushed garlic, and the annatto powder combined with the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well. The mixture will not be very thick but it will thicken up once it has been cooked in the banana leaves.

Place two pieces of banana leaf, one of each size, on the countertop, in the shape of a cross. Place two tablespoons of the banana mixture in the middle and a line of the stewed meat on top. Fold the leaves over to form a little rectangular packet and tie like a parcel with kitchen string.

Cook the bacán in plenty of boiling water for 30 minutes then drain. 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.

Arroz con Calamares (Rice with Squid)

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/ricewithsquid.html

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

4 cups water

2 1/2 cups rice

2 4 oz. containers of squid in its ink

1/2 cup alcaparrado (a mix of olives, capers and pimiento, or just olives)

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Heat oil in a saucepan with and saute the calamares over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Stir the rice, cover, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Pulpeta (Cuban Meat Loaf)

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/pulpeta.html

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. ground beef

1/4 lb. cooked ham (ground)

4 eggs

3 boiled eggs

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 3/4 cups cracker meal

20 olives w/ pimiento

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Mix the beef and ham together and add two beaten eggs, salt pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic and onion. Mix well, add enough cracker meal to make the meat hold its shap (3/4 a cup or so), and form the mixture into a large loaf.

Vaca Frita (Fried Cow)

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/vacafrita.html

Ingredients:

2 pounds flank steak
2 whole bay leaves
6 black pepper corns
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
lemon wedges
2 medium green bell peppers, sliced

Seasoning rub:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Place the steak in a cover pot with just enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer covered until tender, about 1 ½ hours. Allow the steak to cool in the liquid, covered. It's common to place the entire covered pot in the fridge and proceed to frying the next day.

Mix the dry spices.

Cut the meat across the grain into serving size pieces. Pound with a meat mallet until increased in size by 25-50%. Rub each piece with a bit of the dry rub and splash with dry sherry.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet or griddle. Fry each piece of meat until it barely browns. Fry the onions and peppers also. Place all on a plate with the lemon wedges as a garnish.

Veal Scallops with Bacon

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/vealscallops.html

For 2 persons - big eaters, please, multiply by 2.

Ingredients:

8 to 12 oz of veal scallops
6 strips of bacon (4 oz)
1 or 2 limes
1 large onion (or 2 medium ones)
4~6 garlic cloves
1 large green pepper (2 medium ones)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Some pickled sweet red pepper (for final dressing)
Salt (your taste).

Preparation:

The day before frying, marinate the (veal) scallops as follows:

Squeeze the lime, spreading its juice on both sides of the meat. Crush the garlic cloves together with salt and apply to the scallops using your fingers. Cut the onion and pepper in small dice. Mix them. Use 1/2 of this mix to make a layer on a dish and cover it with the scallops as a second layer. Cover the scallops with a third layer of onion-and-pepper. You can squeeze the extra lime over the whole. Cover with plastic or an adequate lid, not in contact with the food. Put in the lower part of the fridge (over the vegetables drawer) for 12~24 hours.

Frying: Use medium-high fire at all times. Cut the bacon in pieces of about 2 inches long. Put a very small amount of olive oil (no more than 1/2 teaspoon) on a frying pan. If you are using a Teflon pan, don't use oil at all. When the pan is hot, put the bacon and fry on its own melting lard until crispy. Add the onion-and-pepper used for marinating the scallops and sauté until the onion is transparent. With the frying spoon, clear a space at the centre of the pan and put the scallops to fry in contact with the melted grease. Spread the bacon and the sauté onion-and-pepper over the scallops and fry for a few minutes according to your desire (light, medium, well done). Turn around the scallops at the middle of the frying process, spreading again the bacon with onion-and-pepper on it.

(Tips for) Serving:

Save the grease apart.

Immediately after frying, serve the (veal) scallops on one-half of each dish and cover them with the fried onion-and-pepper. Use the bacon strips to form a ring around. Some strips of pickled sweet red pepper on top will dress it nicely.

Serve fluffy white rice mixed with asleep black beans on the other half of the dish. Pour a small amount of the frying grease on the rice and beans.

Fried green plantain bananas "a puñetazos" will do be the best side dish.

A salad with lettuce and ripe tomatoes, dressed exclusively with olive oil, white vinegar and salt, is the final Cuban touch on your table. If you have radish on hand, please add a few slices to the salad.

Sopa de Cabeza de Pescado (Fish Head's Soup)

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/fish-heads-soup.html

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs sea bass heads
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup cubed potatoes
2 chopped onions
1 chopped green pepper
6 mashed garlic cloves
6 cups fish stock or fish broth
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup soup noodles
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
3 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lime
4 slices toasted Cuban garlic bread
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Saute onions and green peppers till soft. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.

Add fish heads and sprinkle with salt. Stir in cumin, oregano, and tomato paste.

Add fish broth, carrots and celery. Bring to a boil. Lower to medium heat. Cook 15 minutes.

Add potatoes. Cook five minutes. Add noodles and stir frequently to avoid sticking.

When noodles are ready, about 7 minutes, squeeze juice of one lime and add parsley.

Remove from heat and serve hot with toasted Cuban garlic bread.

Chilled Black Olive Soup

http://www.tasteofcuba.com/chilledblackolive.html

Ingredients:

1 c pitted ripe olives;
-preferably imported brine
3 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c minced onions
1 cl garlic, minced
1 egg
1 c light cream
1 ts thick bottled steak sauce
1/4 c dry sherry

Instructions:

Either slice the olives wafer-thin or chop them into bits in a food
processor. Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a
boil. Add onions and garlic. Simmer 10 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, strain out onion and garlic bits and discard
(or save to add the pot when making a batch of stock).

Return soup to the pan and add olives.

Beat egg in a bowl and slowly add a cup of hot soup while
continuing to beat, and taking care not to curdle the egg.

Pour soup/egg mixture into the soup. Add light cream,
steak sauce and sherry. Refrigerate for several hours
or overnight.

Serve chilled in chilled soup bowls.

Cuban Shredded Pork

http://www.onlinerecipeguide.com/

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops 1 pint water to cover 1 lime, juiced 1 sprig fresh thyme 8 black peppercorns 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste 1 tablespoon onion powder salt to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 1 lime, juiced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine water, juice of one lime, thyme sprig, peppercorns, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Add pork chops, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender. Add more water as necessary to keep chops covered. 2. Turn off heat and let the chops rest in the broth for 30 minutes. Remove chops from broth and shred, removing excess fat; set aside. 3. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shredded pork and fry until it is almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is just tender yet slightly crisp, about 10 minutes more. Add the juice of one lime, mix though and toss with cilantro. Serve and enjoy.

Picadillo

http://www.onlinerecipeguide.com/

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound chorizo sausage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
3/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and chorizo sausage. Cook and stir until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain off some of the grease, and stir in the onions and bell pepper. Cook until soft, then add the garlic. Season with cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne and cinnamon. Cook and stir for about one minute to release the fragrance. Pour the tomatoes and beef stock into the pan, along with the sugar. Set the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Stir the raisins, olives, capers and vinegar into the pan, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the almonds and lime juice, and cook until they are heated, then serve.

Cuban Beef Stew

http://www.onlinerecipeguide.com/

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 1/2 pounds sirloin tips, cubed 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 cup dry sherry 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives 1/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons capers 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until transparent. Stir in cubed meat, and cook until browned. Stir in red bell pepper, bay leaf, cumin, and oregano; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. 2. Stir in sherry, tomato sauce, vinegar, olives, raisins, and capers. Pour in enough water to just cover meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer until fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if the stew becomes too thick. 3. Stir potatoes into the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, until potatoes are almost tender. Uncover, and cook until done.

Cuban Ropa Vieja

http://www.onlinerecipeguide.com/

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds beef flank steak
1 cup beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
2. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar. Stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice.