Ropa Vieja from Cuba

Ropa Vieja is the most distinctive dish of Cuban cuisine. It is called like that because the meat is broken into strands and looks like old clothes.

However, the origin of this dish is not in Cuba; it was originated in Spain as a way to use leftovers. More specifically, it comes from the Canary Islands, where it still bears the same name.

The dish is made with meat that has been used to prepare cocido. The cut of meat used is beef flank, which is ideal because it has well-defined fibers and easily pulls apart into strands.

Ingredients:

- 600 grams beef flank.

- 1 tablespoon of salt.

- 1 cup tomato sauce.

- 1 cup red wine.

- 4 cloves of garlic.

- 2 onion.

- One piece of leek for the broth.

- One piece of onion for the broth.

- 1 clove of garlic for the broth.

- 1 bone for the clove.

-  Rice as a side dish.

- 2 bay leaves.

- 1 tablespoon paprika.

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin.

- 1teaspoon oregano.

- 1/2 red pepper.

- 1/2 green pepper.

- 1 avocado.

- 1 plantain.

Method:

1- First, we cook the meat and make the broth. We put the meat into a pressure cooker along with a piece of onion, a garlic clove, a piece of leek, a bone, two bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and a tablespoon of salt.

We set the pressure cooker to high heat, and once steam starts to go out, we lower it to minimum heat and cook for 1 hour.

2- Once cooked, we take out the meat and set the broth aside to make a soup at another time.

Using two forks, we shred the meat.

3- We slice the garlic, chop the onion into small pieces, and cut the peppers into thin strips (julienne).

4- In a pan with oil, we sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers until the onion becomes translucent and the peppers are slightly soft.

5- This is when we add the meat and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

6- We add a cup of tomato sauce, a cup of wine, and a cup of broth. We also season with salt and pepper to taste and add a tablespoon of paprika. Cook for about 5 more minutes.

7- The meat is ready, it is served with diced avocado, sliced and fried plantains, and rice.

To prepare the plantains, I used an air fryer, the same way I make French fries, and they turned out quite crispy. 

8- We prepare the rice as usual, sautéing a garlic clove and half an onion until they are translucent.

Then we add a cup of rice and two cups of water, season with salt, and let it cook for 15 minutes. After that, we let the rice rest, covered with a cloth, for 5 more minutes.

Receta en Español

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have my  favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html

Cuba

Bandera:   Por Miguel Teurbe Tolón and Narciso López - Geometry and dimensions from Ley no 42 "de los Símbolos Nacionales".Its shape is rectangular, twice length than width, composed by five horizontal stripes having all the same width, three deep blue and two white, placed alternating. A red equilateral triangle, in one of its vertical extremes occupy all the height of the flag constituting its fixed edge. Such triangle bears in its center a five-pointed white star, within an imaginary circumference, whose diameter is a third of the flag´s height, having one of its points towards the free upper edge of the flag.— English translation of Law 42 from Symbols of the Cuban Nation, Dominio público, Enlace

Empanadas from Chile

 Empanadas are typical in Chile, the dish was brought by the spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia. In the 1600s the empanadas were eaten by creoles and indigenous people. The most common filling is called pino; a mixture of meat, onion, raisins, eggs and chili pepper.

Pino comes from the mapuche word 'pinu' that means filling.

Ingredients for the filling:


- 900 grams onion.
- 1 clove of garlic.
- 450 grams minced meat.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- 1 teaspoon cumin.
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika or merkén.
- 1/2 tablespoon ground garlic.
- 1/2 tablespoon corn starch.
- 2 boiled eggs.
- 8 olives.
- 24 raisins.


Ingredients for the dough (8 empanadas):


- 450 grams wheat flour.
- 1 teaspoon chemical yeast.
- 100 grams butter.
- 120 cc water.
- 120 cc milk.
- Salt. 

Method:

1- First we will prepare the filling, it must be cold when we are going to use it for the filling. Because of this we can prepare it the day before.

2- Cut the onion in little pieces, cook in boiling water for 30 seconds.

3- Get rid of the water and keep the onion.

4- Cut the garlic in pieces and sautée it , then add the onion and sautée for some more minutes.

5- Add salt, cumin, paprika, ground garlic and meat, stir well and cook at medium heat covered with a lid until the meat is done.

6- Add corn starch, mix well and cook one more minute.

Let cool, you can use it the following day.

7- Now it is time to do the dough. Mix the flour and chemical yeast.

8- Melt the butter and add it to the flour.

9- Add salt, warm milk and water. Mix well.

9- Knead until the dough is homogeneous, at this moment you should stop kneading. Let stand for half an hour, covered by cling film.

9- Put some flour on a surface, put the dough on the surface and put the dough in the shape of a cilinder. 

Cut the dough in pieces of 60 grams weight, make a little ball for each piece.

10- Flatten every ball with the help of a rolling pin, put it in a circle of 20 cm diameter.

11- Now it is time to fill the empanada, put some filling in the middle, leave some space without filling at the borders.

12- The filling has the meat prepared the previous day, some pieces of boiled egg, raisins and some pieces of olives.

13- Use some water to wet the borders of the circle.

14- Look at the pictures to see how to close the empanadas.

15- Pinch the surface to allow some air  to enter into the empanada.

16- Paint the surface with beaten egg.

17- Cook in the oven at 200 ºC  for 45 minutes.

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have my  favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html

Chile