Cuban Cuisine has diverse roots, but a style all its own
By Diann Greene
Cuban cooking has diverse roots. This rustic cuisine is a mix of
Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese cultures.
But this cuisine has a style very much its own. Coastal seafood,
indigenous fruits and root vegetables contribute to its unique cultural
mix. All these influences along with a Caribbean flair, give Cuban food
its distinctive, flavorful taste.
Although many people think Cuban food is similar to Mexican, it's not.
The only food these cultures have in common is tamales and the love of
rice and beans.
I love Cuban food. My neighbor, Mike, always shared stories with me
about his Cuban grandma cooking in the kitchen when he was growing up.
"She never measured" he told me, she just knew how much rice to add when
making Arroz con Pollo or Paella or Lechon Asado (Cuban roast pork).
Rice was by the handful and water was by a certain finger depth. He
reminisced about his grandma in the kitchen, early in the morning,
stirring up her Cuban specialties and would awake with his mouth
watering to the aroma of her delicious cooking.
After talking to various Cuban cooks, I have found most don't measure
ingredients or time meals. These wonderful cooks just seem to have the
knack of knowing how and when.
Most Cuban food is sautéed or slow-cooked over a low flame. Cubans
aren't big on deep-fried foods (although there are exceptions) and they
don't use heavy or creamy sauces. Rice, both yellow and white; and
beans, both black and red are culinary staples, although preparation
varies by region. Black beans are prevalent in western Cuba, which is
heavily influenced by its European roots, while red beans are common in
eastern Cuba, which is influenced by African and Caribbean cultures.
Meats and poultry are normally marinated in citrus juices, such as lime
or sour orange, and slow roasted over low heat until the meat is falling
off the bone.
Equally popular are Cuban tamales, which are similar to its Mexican
counterpart. Cuban tamales are made with corn flour, shortening and
pieces of pork meat. The mixture is then wrapped in corn husks, tied and
boiled in salted water. Another popular Cuban recipe is Tamales en
cazuela; the meat mixture is stirred into the masa or corn flour and
cooked directly in a pot on the stove to form a hearty cornmeal porridge.
Plantains are inexpensive and versatile, making them a perfect
accompaniment to many Cuban dishes. A plantain looks and smells like a
banana but, they are bigger, harder to peel, and are cooked instead of
eaten raw. As a plantain ripens, it becomes sweeter and the exterior
color changes just like its cousin the banana. Green plantains are firm
and starchy and resemble potatoes in flavor. Medium ripe plantains are
yellow or yellow with black spots and have a softer starchy but slightly
sweet flavor. When the skins have turned almost black, the plantain is
fully ripe, aromatic, and sweet.
Other common staples of Cuban cuisine are root vegetables such as yucca,
malanga, and boniato. These vegetables are flavored with a marinade,
called mojo, which includes hot olive oil, lemon juice, sliced raw
onions, garlic, cumin and a little water. Green leafy vegetables are not
part of traditional Cuban cooking.
Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic spices, such as garlic, cumin,
oregano and bay laurel leaves as well as olive oil. Many dishes use
sofrito or recaito as their base. Sofrito is a mixture of sauteed
garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Recaito is a green version of
sofrito and is made with cilantro. The addition of sofrito or recaito
gives food a wonderful flavor. They are both used as a base for soups,
stews, rice dishes and many meat dishes. These two items can be found
side by side on the shelf in the Spanish food section of your supermarket.
Here are some traditional Cuban favorites.
Ajiaco: The national dish of Cuba. It is a thick stew made with pork, a
variety of roots and vegetables.
Arroz con Leche: The Spanish version of rice pudding sometimes made with
sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk.
Croquetas: Tasty finger foods made from a ham, chicken, fish or cheese
paste that is molded into cylinders, breaded and then deep fried.
Cuban Empanadas: A popular dish due to its nearly unlimited flavor
possibilities. Cuban empanadas are pastry pockets that are stuffed with
traditionally seasoned meats, then deep-fried or baked to a golden color.
Cuban Sandwich: A traditional dish that is popular both on the island
and in Florida. To make one, you will need Cuban bread, which sort of
resembles French or Italian bread. Slice the bread in half lengthwise,
spread with mustard and a little butter before adding ham, roast pork,
Swiss cheese and pickles. Salami is sometimes added to the sandwich.
Once assembled, the whole sandwich is pressed and heated in a
panini-type grill, then cut in half diagonally and served warm.
Mojito: A refreshing Cuban cocktail made with rum, lime juice and fresh
mint.
Moros y Crisitianos (translates as Moors and Christians): A savory rice
and black bean dish that is a popular staple all over Cuba. The black
beans are slow-cooked with onion, pepper, garlic, paprika, cumin,
oregano and bay leaves, and when they're ready a sofrito usually
containing bits of ham or bacon is added. The beans are served over the
top or beside white rice. There are as many variations of this dish as
there are Cuban cooks.
Picadillo (Cuban Beef Hash): It is made of ground beef, onions, olives,
garlic, oregano, tomato sauce and raisins. Some recipes call for capers,
cinnamon, cloves or cumin but every Cuban chef has his or her own family
recipe. It is usually served over rice or used as a filling for empanadas.
Pollo con Quimbobó y Plátanos (Chicken with Okra and Plantains): A
traditional meal that consists of a whole chicken that has been cut up
and fried before being stewed with bits of okra, plantain bananas,
onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, olives and lemon or lime juice. Once
stewed, it is served hot over white rice.
Ropa vieja or "Old clothes" in Spanish: A dish made of shredded beef. It
is marinated and cooked in a tomato-based sauce and served with rice.
This favorite dish is native to Cuba, very widely served and prepared
with and without vegetables. On your plate, it looks similar to
Carolina-style pulled pork, although the taste is different. It is this
shredded look that gives the dish its name.
TRADITIONAL ARROZ CON POLLO
q 1 large chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces.
q 1 teaspoon dried oregano
q 1 teaspoon ground cumin
q 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
q 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sofrito and broth:
q 2 tablespoon Annatto oil or olive oil
q 1 small onion, finely chopped
q 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
q 3 cloves garlic, minced
q 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
q 3 cups water
q 1 cup dry white wine
q 1-1/2 cups beer
q 1/2 teaspoon annatto seeds, or 1/4 tsp saffron threads
q 1 tablespoon tomato paste
q Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
q 1 lb Valencia or Arborio rice
q Sliced red pimientos for garnish
q Can of drained green peas (Petit Pois), for garnish
n Wash the chicken; 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.
n 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: Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the oil in the
casserole, cook over medium 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.
n 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: Thoroughly wash rice swishing with your hands, and
drain off the water. Continue doing this until water runs clear. 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.
Just before it is done, stir in half of the petit pois and pimientos.
Garnish with the rest. Serves 6-8
— Taste of Cuba
CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP
q 1 pound black beans, dried
q 1 cup of chopped onions
q 1 tablespoon butter
q 4 cups of water
q 1 beef bouillon cube
q 12 ounces of cooked lean ham
q 2 bay leaves
q 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf Oregano
q 1/2 teaspoon salt
q 1 dried whole red pepper
q 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper
Sort and soak beans overnight, then drain and discard the water used for
soaking. In a 4-quart pot, saute onion in butter or margarine until
tender but not browned.
n Add soaked beans, 4 cups water, bouillon cube, ham (cut into 4-6
chunks), bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt and red pepper. Bring to boil;
reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hour.
n Remove 1 cup of beans from stew, mash in a bowl with potato masher or
fork. Add mashed beans to stew; stir to thicken. Remove ham and dice.
Remove bay leaves and red pepper, if used and discard. Add diced meat
and green pepper to beans.
n Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Serve beans over fluffy white rice. Serves 4
— Taste of Cuba
"HEALTHIFIED" TRES LECHES
q 1 box (1 lb. 2.25 oz) yellow cake mix with pudding
q 1-1/4 cups water
q 1 tablespoon canola oil
q 2 teaspoons vanilla
q 2 whole eggs
q 3 egg whites
q 1 can (14 oz.) fat-free sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
q 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated fat-free milk
q 1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk or fat-free half-and-half
q 1 container (8 oz.) frozen reduced-fat or fat-free whipped topping, thawed
q Sliced strawberries, optional
n Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom
only of a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat cake
mix, water, oil, vanilla, whole eggs, and egg whites with electric mixer
on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping
the bowl occasionally. Pour into the pan.
n Bake 29 to 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Poke top of
the hot cake all over with a fork or wooden skewer, wiping fork
occasionally to reduce sticking.
n In medium bowl, stir condensed milk, evaporated milk and skim milk
until blended. Slowly pour evenly over the top of the cake.
n Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until the mixture is absorbed into
the cake.
n Spread whipped topping over the cake. Refrigerate until serving time.
Garnish with strawberries. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 15 servings.
— Eat Better America
CUBAN STYLE PICADILLO
q 2 medium onions, chopped
q 1 large green pepper, diced
q 1/4 cup olive oil
q 2 lbs ground round
q 6 small tomatoes (or 1-8ounce can tomato sauce)
q 2 tsp salt
q 2 cloves garlic, minced
q Black pepper, to taste
q 1 tablespoon brown sugar
q 1/4 cup vinegar
q 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
q 1/2 cup raisins
q 1 tablespoon capers
q 1/2 cup red wine, tomato juice or bouillon
Brown onions and green pepper in olive oil. Add meat, chopped tomatoes,
salt, garlic and black pepper and stir frequently to break up and large
chunks. Add remaining ingredients and simmer slowly until meat is tender
and flavors have developed, about 30 minutes. Serve with rice.
— Cuban Food Guy
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