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

Kaima Bona Gatoi - Roasted vegetables from Papua New Guinea

Kaima Bona Gatoi is a vegetarian dish from Papua New Guinea, it is usually served as a side dish with fish or meat dishes.

It is very easy to prepare and it is very similar to our roasted vegetables called 'escalivada'.

Ingredients:

- 1 Zucchini 

- 1 Eggplant 

- Salt 

- 1 Red Pepper 

- 1 Onion 

- 1 teaspoon of cilantro 

- 1 teaspoon of paprika, spicy or not, as you like.

- Vinegar 

- Oil 

Preparation:

1- Cut the eggplant and zucchini into 1 or 2 centimeter thick slices. Cut the onion into 8 pieces and the pepper into small pieces.

2- Put everything in a bowl and add salt, a little bit of oil, vinegar, ginger, cilantro, and paprika. Mix well and let the vegetables marinate for 1 hour.

3- Put the vegetables in the oven and cook for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, and you're done!

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

Receta en Español

De <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nightstallion" title="User:Nightstallion">User:Nightstallion</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="es">Trabajo propio</span>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.flags.de/fotw/flags/pg.html">FOTW</a>, Dominio público, Enlace

Rice with tuna from Cape Verde

                                                                                Receta en Español

with tuna or 'arroz c'atum', as it is called at Cape Verde, is a typical dish from this country, you can use fresh tuna or tuna from a can. It is better to use fresh tuna, of course.

Ingredients:

-  250 grams of fresh tuna or a tuna can.
-  1 green pepper.
-  1 red pepper.
-  1 cup of rice.
-  2 cups of water.
-  1 tomato.
-  1 onion.
-  3 o 4 tablespoons of oil.
-  75 grams of corn (optional).
-  75 grams of peas (optional).
-  3 grains of  melegueta pepper or grains of paradise.
-  Salt.

Method:

1- Cut the onion, red pepper and green pepper into strips.

2- Cut tomato into little pieces.

3- Put some oil in a casserole and sautée the onion.

4- Add peppers and tomato, stir well.

5- Cook until peppers are done.

6- Add peas, corn, salt and melegueta pepper. Stir well and add one cup of water. Put on a medium heat.

7- When the water starts to evaporate , salt the tuna and add it to the casserole.

8- Cook until the tuna is done, then , take it out, remove the skin and cut it into little pieces.

9- Add rice and other cup of water. Let it cook at low heat for 15- 20 minutes.

10- Turn the heat off, cover the casserole with a cloth and let it get cool for some minutes.

11- You can serve adding a boiled egg.

My comments to the Recipe

This is an easy recipe, rice and tuna are a perfect match, melegueta pepper is not spicy so you can use it without problems.

Where to buy the ingredient

The ingredient most dificult to find is melegueta pepper. You can buy it on internet, if you use the following link you can obtain a 10% discount using the code DTO10%:  buy melegueta pepper

Cape Verde

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