Cuban Food

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Batidos (Cuban Fruit Shakes)

6 ounces mango sorbet
3 ounces vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh mango, plus mango slices, for garnish
5/8 cup cold milk
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a 10-ounce glass and serve immediately. Garnish with a mango slice and mint sprig, if desired.


Croquetas (Ham Croquettes)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium finely minced onion
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk (more or less) at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
4 cups (about 1 pound) smoked ham, ground
1 cup dry bread crumbs (more or less)
Salt & black pepper to taste

COATING

2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup dry bread crumbs mixed with 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

In a large pan, melt the butter, add the onions, and sauté until translucent.
Stir in 1/3 cup flour to make a roux -- add more butter if necessary to make a smooth roux. Gradually whisk in the milk to form a smooth sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Your sauce needs to be very thick -- like wallpaper paste! Whisk in nutmeg, sherry, and parsley. Fold in the ground ham and one cup bread crumbs.

Let simmer for five minutes on low heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary -- the ham probably has enough salt already. Spoon the mixture into a baking pan and refrigerate until well chilled -- at least one hour. NOTE: The mixture needs to be firm enough to form into rolls. If your mixture is too soft or sticky, add some additional bread crumbs.

Shape the ham mixture into logs about 3/4-inch thick and three inches long.

Make an egg wash by beating the eggs with water until frothy in a small bowl.

Combine the bread crumbs and flour in a second bowl; add salt and pepper.

Dip the logs in the egg wash and roll the logs in the seasoned bread crumbs. Dip a second time and re-roll in bread crumbs.

IMPORTANT: Cover logs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two to three hours. (You may also freeze for later use, or use the freezer to quickly chill them.)

Sauté the croquetas in hot oil -- about 350º F, a few at a time, three to four minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. You may also cook them in a deep fat fryer.

Variation: Chicken

You can easily substitute an equal amount of COOKED chicken for the ham -- white or dark meat, or a combination. Grind the cooked chicken in a food processor. Add a dash of fresh lime juice to the ground chicken. We also grind in a handful of chopped cilantro for a nice flavor twist. (Omit the parsley if you do so.) However, this is an option.

Ensalada Cubana Tipica (Typical Cuban Salad)

The salad you see at almost every cuban get together!!

Ingredients

2 ripe red tomatoes
1 white onion
1 head iceberg lettuce
6-8 radishes, sliced thin
Dressing:- 1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut the tomatoes in wedges, cut the onion in thin slices. Break up the lettuce by hand.
Toss all ingredients together with the radishes. Place all the vegetables in the refrigerator to chill.

Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic with the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice to the crushed garlic. Whisk together thoroughly.

You can also use a blender to emulsify the oil and liquids.

Just before serving: Gradually add the dressing, a little at a time, while you toss the salad with a couple of large salad forks.

Add just enough dressing to cover the salad -- more or less to your own taste.

Cubano Sandwich

Ingredients

Cuban bread or (Substitute French bread if you must, but NOT a baguette!)
Butter, softened
1 pound ham sliced (Use a good quality ham.)
1 pound lechón asado (roasted Cuban pork) sliced
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced (Use a mild Swiss -- we like Baby Swiss -- it has only a few holes.)
Sliced dill pickles (dill "Sandwich Stackers" work great)
Yellow mustard (optional)
Mayonnaise (NEVER!!)

To make four generous sandwiches:
Preheat a pancake griddle or large fry pan. Cut the bread into sections about 8 inches long. Cut these in half and spread butter on both halves (inside). Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!

NOTE: Most people use a sweet cured ham (jamón dulce) or bolo ham for Cuban sandwiches. If you can find these hams in your area, great. Otherwise, look for a slightly sweet, soft textured ham with a mild taste. You don't want the flavor of the ham to overpower the rest of the ingredients! Also, never use shaved ham or pork in a Cuban sandwich!

Place the sandwich on the hot griddle (fry pan) sprayed with a little "Pam" or lightly greased. Place a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich to flatten. (You really want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size!) Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Make sure your griddle or fry pan is not TOO HOT! Otherwise, the crust will burn before the cheese melts. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.



Fritas (Cuban Hamburgers)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp 1000 Island dressing [mayo and ketchup]
1 tsp ketchup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground onion

Soak bread crumbs in milk and mix all ingredients well. Shape into small balls, place in refrigerator for about 2 hours to let the meat marinate with other ingredients. Lightly grease grill or frying pan. Fry meat, press to shape like hamburgers. Serve in hamburger buns.

Serving tip: For better results, cut the bun with a large round cookie cutter, spread with ketchup, sprinkle with chopped onions if desired, serve with shoestring potatoes.


Picadillo (Cuban Beef Hash)

1 lb ground meat
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
Pimiento stuffed olives
Raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.

turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is ok to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Add the raisins and adjust the seasonings.

Serve over fluffy, white rice. If you like it soupier, just add more tomato sauce and/or wine, if you wish.


Tostones (Fried Plantain)

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for frying
Green plantain (See above), peeled and cut into 2" slices
Salt

Peel the plantain: Cut the ends of each plantain off with a sharp knife. Use the knife to cut through the peel only the entire lenth of the plantain. Loosen the peel along the cut and remove peel by hand.
Cut the plantain into slices, about 2" to 2 1/2" wide.

Fill a large skillet a third full with oil and heat over medium-high heat to a temperature of about 300 degrees F. Once the oil is hot, fry the plantain slices for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, just long enough to make them soft.

Remove the plantains and drain on paper towels. Use a plantain press or a brown paper bag folded over to smash the plantains to about half their thickness. Let the oil come back to a higher temperature -- this time about 375 degrees F. Fry once again, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides. Remove and use paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and serve.

Quesillo

Looks like flan tastes like cheesecake and relatively simple to make!!

Ingredients

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
1 tablespoon white vinegar

For caramel:

3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Use a souffle or baking dish.

Caramel:

Heat the sugar in the water until it is dissolved, then boil without stirring until golden brown. Remove from heat and pour into the dish. Tilt back and forth to cover the bottom and sides of dish.

Quesillo:

Pour into the caramel lined dish and set it into a pan of water (water bath).

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife comes out of center clean. Let cool in dish. Before serving, loosen sides with a knife and flip onto a platter with a rim.

Source: tasteofcuba.com
icuban.com
Three guys from Miami