When you think Cuban food, beans are usually on the menu. In Spanish this dish is called frijoles colorados, and they’re a staple in Cuban cuisine. The beans are made with simple ingredients including herbs, spices and pork. The pork used is typically an inexpensive cut. Smoked ham hocks or shanks, sausage, or a leftover, meaty ham bone are all good options. Cuban style red beans are traditionally served with white rice as a side dish, or as a stand-alone soup.
Crema de Malanga is a thick, creamy soup, made creamy more by the texture of the Malanga than actual cream. Easy to make using simple ingredients, this soup is a delicious way to try something different.
These Cuban pork chops or chuletas de cerdo in Spanish, make an easy, affordable and quick dinner. In this recipe, thin-cut pork chops are seasoned with garlic powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper. Then we squeeze some fresh lime juice over them and let them marinate for great flavor. Serve the pork chops with white rice and black beans or mashed potatoes for a filling and delicious meal.
Ropa Vieja is a traditional Cuban dish that’s easy to make and delicious. The literal translation of ropa vieja is “old clothes”, odd I know. It’s called this because the shredded beef resembles tattered, old clothes. What it actually is: Steak, usually flank, that’s boiled, shredded and cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce.
In Cuban Culture, roast pork (lechon asado) is the meal served on all special occasions. Christmas, Weddings, New Year’s… roast pork is on the menu. This is a traditional recipe using a homemade mojo marinade. Roast pork is a two-day event. The pork needs to marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Then you roast it, low and slow for hours.
Mojo is a popular marinade and sauce in Cuban cuisine. A mojo marinade is a simple combination of garlic, spices and citrus juice. It injects wonderful flavor to meat. Mojo is used most commonly to flavor pork, but it works great on chicken and root vegetables, like yuca and malanga. However you use it, this marinade will add a tropical flair to your meal.
Saucy and a little bit spicy, enchilado de camarones is a Cuban dish similar to a shrimp creole. Enchilado de camarones translates roughly to spicy shrimp. The sauce comes together quickly and you can make it as hot as you like, just add more or less hot sauce. This exotic dish is really easy to make, and will spice up your weeknight dinner.
This Cuban chicken sandwich can be found in cafeterias and restaurants all over Miami, or you can make it at home. It’s easy to make and a deliciously-different take on a standard chicken sandwich. Thin chicken breasts are seasoned with a combination of spices. They’re quickly fried, served on Cuban bread and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and potato sticks. See, really easy!
Vaca Frita de Pollo is a fried shredded chicken dish that’s popular in Cuban restaurants all over Miami. The literal translation is chicken fried steak, but that’s not this dish. Vaca frita de pollo is cooked, shredded chicken that’s flavored with a delicious homemade mojo marinade and skillet-fried until browned and crispy on the outside.
Carne con Papas is a Cuban comfort food favorite. It’s similar to beef stew, except that it’s saucy not stewy. Typically, the recipe calls for inexpensive beef that’s cut into small chunks and braised in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce until tender. Potatoes are always added to this dish, after all they’re in the title; the rest of the ingredients depend on the cook.