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

Carne al toro - Recipe from Cádiz

Carne al toro is a traditional recipe from the province of Cádiz.

This dish, as its name suggests, was initially made with bull meat, but today it is made with any type of meat that is cooked in the same way, with vegetables and wine.

The origin of the recipe is relatively recent, in the 70s of the last century (50 years ago), a restaurant in Puerto de Santa María called 'Tendido 4' popularized it, people went to the restaurant to eat this dish and later it began to be cooked in other restaurants and bars of the area.

The recipe was devised by Luisa Aldana, the mother of Fernando Fernández, the owner of the restaurant El Tendido 4. The Fernández family was well known in the city because they were dedicated to the world of greengrocers.

Ingredients :

- 800 g beef to stew.

- 1 onion.

- 1 red pepper.

- 1 green pepper.

- 2 carrots.

- 2 garlic cloves.

- 100 ml crushed tomato.

- 1 slice toasted bread.

- 1 glass red wine.

- 1/2 glass water.

- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika.

- 1 teaspoon spicy paprika.

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.

- 1 teaspoon oregano.

- 1 bay leaf.

- olive oil.

- Salt.

- Pepper.

Method:

1- Season the meat with salt and pepper and sautée it in a pot with a little oil.

2- Once the meeting starts to be done, set aside.

3- Peel the onion, carrots and cut them into medium pieces along with the red and green peppers.

4- Sauté in the same pot where you cooked the meat.

5- Add the meat, crushed garlic or garlic cut into very small pieces, bread, bay leaves and crushed tomato.

6- Add the salt, all the spices and the wine, cook until slightly reduced.

7- Add some water just to cover the meat, put the lid of the pressure cooker on, and turn the heat to maximum until the steam starts to come out, then set the heat to minimum and cook for 30 or 40 minutes.

8- Use some chips as side dish , you can also accompany it with rice or eat it alone.

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools:  

Favourite cooking tools

Receta en Español

Bandera: De Ulaidh - Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, Enlace

Chickpeas with prawns - Recipe from Cádiz

Chickpeas with prawns is a very typical recipe from the province of Cadiz, it is very tasty.

Ingredients (2 people):

- 400 g chickpeas.

- 200 g prawns.

- 1 big onion.

- 1 green pepper.

- 1 tomato.

- 2 cloves of garlic.

- parsley.

- paprika.

- oil.

- salt.

- 1 carrot.

- 1 /4 dry ñora pepper.

- 2 bay leaf.

- 50 ml white wine.

- a few strands of saffron.

- 10 ml tomato sauce.

Method:

1- Soak the chickpeas the night before.

2- We cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with a bit of salt and water, put the lid on and first put on high heat, once the steam starts coming out, put on low heat and cook for 1 hour.

3- Place the prawns in a pot with enough water to cover them by about two fingers. Boil for a few minutes until they turn red. Save the broth. Peel the prawns once they are cooled. If you bought pre-cooked prawns, peel them and make a broth using the shells.

4- Turn the vegetables into slices.

5- Sauté the onion and garlic in a bit of oil until the onion becomes translucent.

6- Add bay leaf and ñora, sautée for one more minute.

7- Add the rest of vegetables and cook until they are soft.

8- Add the broth , get rid of the bay leaf and crush everything.

9- Add the cooked chickpeas, salt, pepper, saffron, wine, and parsley. Cook for 5 more minutes to let the alcohol from the wine evaporate.

10- Add the prawns.

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

Bandera: De Ulaidh - Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, Enlace