Bacon-Wrapped Plantains
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. (16 oz.) package of bacon
- 2 lb. package Frozen pre-cooked plantains(the pre-cooked frozen worked so much better than the fresh for this recipe) Find these in the freezer section at your local grocery store
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Thaw the frozen plantains for about 20 minutes.
- Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Slice the plantains into 1 1/2 inch slices – about the width of the bacon.
- Cut the entire package of Bacon in half with a sharp knife.
- Wrap each slice of plantain with a half-slice of bacon, rolling it all the way around the plantain.
- Place each wrapped plantain slice on the foil-lined baking sheet, seam side down.
- Bake in a 375-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. (You will want the bacon to be just slightly brown but not too crunchy.)
- Remove from foil immediately or they will stick. Move onto a plate lined with paper towels to blot any excess.
- Can be served immediately or at room temperature.
Salad
This salad was a favorite when we dined with my mother-in-law. The salad, with its seasonings, was always so good you did not need to dress it.
Ingredients:
- 2 – 3 heads of Romain lettuce chopped in 1-inch strips
- 1/2 cucumber sliced
- 2 tomatoes halved and sliced
- 1/2 red onion halved and sliced
- 3 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 3 tablespoons granulated onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt
Directions:
- Placed lettuce in a large bowl with water enough to cover.
- Add spices and salt and stir to dissolve.
- Add 1 cup of ice cubes and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Remove and drain (but do not rinse).
- Arrange lettuce on a large platter layer onions, tomato, and cucumbers and serve.
Cuban-Style Roast Leg of Pork
Ingredients:
- One 5-6 lb. leg or shoulder of pork
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup sour orange juice OR 1/4 cup regular orange juice and 1/8 cup each fresh lime and lemon juice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or cooking sherry (optional)
- 2 large onions, sliced thickly
Directions:
- Start the night before. Remove any excess fat from the leg of pork and pierce the meat all over with the tip of a sharp knife.
- Combine garlic, oregano, salt, and cumin and mash them into a paste. You can do this in a food processor or go old school and use a mortar and pestle. (It tastes better!)
- Place the pork in a large pan (non-reactive) and rub it well with the paste, sprinkle liberally with pepper, add the orange juice mixture and white wine and onions.
- Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight, turning the meat several times.
- You’ll need to start your cooking about 5 hours before serving. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the meat from the marinade, pat it dry, and reserve the marinade.
- Place the pork in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan (you line the pan with aluminum foil, in case that wasn’t clear).
- Roast 1 hour, turning the roast at intervals to brown on all sides. Insert a meat thermometer, making sure it doesn’t touch the bone.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Pour the reserved marinade over the roast, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, cook another 3 hours or so, turn the meat once, and baste frequently with the pan juices. Meat should reach an internal temperature of at least 180 degrees F.
- Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of roasting, adding white wine if the meat becomes dry.
- When it is done, remove the roasted leg of pork to a serving platter and allow it to rest, covered with foil until about 15 minutes before carving.
- Instead of slicing, the meat should fall right off the bone, as you basically hand shred. Serve with hot Cuban Mojo Criollo (recipe follows).
The following recipes are sauces you can use for the roast
Cuban Mojo Criollo
Ingredients:
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 medium-sized onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sour orange juice OR 1/4 cup regular orange juice and 1/8 cup each fresh lime and lemon juice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 large onions thickly sliced
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil – or real lard gives (it a much better flavor)
Directions:
- In a food processor, crush the garlic, along with the salt to form a thick paste.
- A few minutes before you’re ready to serve the Mojo, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium pan until it is very hot.
- Add the garlic mixture, stir and pour over the hand-shredded pork roast meat.
Chimichurri Sauce – Garlic Citrus Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch of cilantro leaves
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1 lime (juice only)
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion
- Dash or two red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional additions: (1/2 cup sweet red peppers chopped, 1/2 cup minced tomato, 1/2 cup fresh oregano, chopped)
Directions:
- We like to make it the easy way. Put everything except the olive oil in a blender and using the “chop” setting, pulse on and off until you have a thick mixture. Do not over-process!
- This is the kind of dish you need to taste and adjust so that you get just the right flavor! So taste it! (The best way to taste it is with a piece of bread.)
- Whisk in the olive oil. (If you use the blender to incorporate the oil, the oil and liquids will emulsify, giving your chimichurri a white, paste-like texture.)
- Add salt, pepper, more vinegar, and lime juice as needed. The flavor should be very intense with garlic and cilantro. Don’t be stingy with the salt either! Several restaurants add to the dish by adding some (or all) of the optional additions. However, we like it just fine without the additions. See what you like — experiment!
Cuban Yuca with Mojo
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs yuca peeled and cut into chunks (or 1.5 lbs frozen yuca, thawed)
- 1 small white onion thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup sour orange juice store-bought or juice from 1 orange and 1/2 lemon
- Salt + pepper to taste
Directions:
- Place yuca with enough salted water to cover the yuca in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the yuca is fork-tender. Careful not to overcook it or the yuca will get too mushy.
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil at medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they are softened and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add in the minced garlic, a pinch of black pepper, and about 1/4 teaspoon salt to start and adjust to taste. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant then whisk in the sour orange juice until all is combined. Set aside.
- Drain the yuca, transfer to a large bowl with a lid and remove the stringy, fibrous core from the center of each piece of yuca, if desired.
- Add the hot garlic mojo sauce to the yuca making sure it is all well coated. Cover the bowl and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes so the yuca absorbs the mojo. Serve immediately and enjoy!