Beef – Page 7 – Oswald Rivera

Category: Beef (page 7 of 9)

(plus a couple of rabbits)

Pot Roast Redux

October 26, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I’ve always been a fan of the Sunday pot roast dinner. When I was growing up in Spanish Harlem, we called it carne mechada. But it was essentially the same as what you would find in New England, a 3-4 pound roast cooked in a Dutch oven over moderate heat with potatoes, carrots or whatever. Only difference was that ours was more highly seasoned as per Caribbean taste. Also, due to economics, we usually cooked a boneless chuck roast; and when times were good it would be bottom round beef or eye round. If you’re looking for a traditional carne mechada recipe you can check my post from 02/27/13.

Recently I was looking through old stacks of cookbooks, and I cam across this gem: 250 Ways To Prepare Meat. It was a fifty cent catalogue published by Consolidated Book Publishers in 1971. It had a basic “Beef Pot Roast” recipe that utilized yes, table fat, for browning the meat. That’s how far back this recipe goes. It’s an endearing recipe, and quite delicious. I can imagine many a home in America in those days cooking this classic. Thus below, I give the recipe word-for word, as noted in the original. Only exception is that I took the liberty of adding carrots to the mix. This is probably the way your grandparents prepared the Sunday roast. If you don’t want to use table fat, you can always substitute vegetable, canola, or olive oil.

BEEF POT ROAST

3- to 4-pound beef arm or blade pot roast
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fat
1/2 water or stock

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge meat with mixture. Brown meat and onion in fat, pour off drippings and add a small amount of water or stock. Cover tightly, simmer 3 to 4 hours or until tender, adding more water if needed. One half hour before done, add potatoes. Serves 6.

Caribbean Grilled Steak

Grilling steaks can be the easiest or the most difficult thing depending upon how you go at it. The result can be a charred-burnt out piece of leather, or a raw, bleeding mess. The trick is to watch it carefully as it grills. The recipe given below is the Boricua way of grilling meat. That is, it uses all the herbs associated with Caribbean cuisine. Of course, you can add other spices as you desire. It’s all in the taste buds.

The recipe can be termed a peppercorn steak, or as they say in fancy-dan argot, “au poivre.” This consists of steak, normally filet mignon, cooked with cracked pepper, usually green peppercorns. In our cooking its black whole peppercorns.

Here we go again: in traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, we crush the spices in a mortar and pestle, to give it that extra zing. In you don’t own or have a mortar, then substitute ground pepper and salt to taste along with 1 tablespoon oregano, add 1 teaspoon garlic powder—and you’re set to go.

In terms of what meat to use, if you can afford filet mignon, go right ahead, and more power to you. Those of us who are less well-heeled can use other variety meats like strip steaks, cut about 1 1/2-inch thick. I use porterhouse steaks—believe it or not, I got them on sale.

CARIBBEAN GRILLED STEAK

4 porterhouse steaks, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds
3/4 cup whole peppercorns
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teasppoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 cups beef broth
1 (3 1/2-ounce) jar capers, rinsed

1. In a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano, and salt. Mix in olive oil and vinegar. Brush steaks on both sides with this mixture.
2. Place steaks on grill, cover with lid, and cook on each side 4-5 minutes or until desired doneness.
3. Melt butter in a skillet or fry pan. Add scallions and sauté about 1 minute. Add broth and capers, and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. Serve over grilled steaks.
Yield: 4 servings.

Biftec Empanado – Breaded Beefsteak

July 5, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

For the longest time in Puerto Rico, before the advent of American style fast food joints, breaded steaks were a popular staple in mom-and-pop takeout places. These emporiums were called cafetines or “little cafes,” and almost every town had one. Here the breaded steaks were enjoyed by the regulars. The idea transferred to the mainland and the cafetines became cuchifrito places, and they abounded at one time in what was called Spanish Harlem in New York. Today the term used is East Harlem, and most of the cafetines are gone, along with the migration of second generation Puerto Ricans to Florida.

I’m nostalgic for those old take-out places. They would serve the breaded steaks with french fries, or as a sandwich in a roll or Italian bread. At home we would have it as an entrée with rice and beans. In the old neighborhood, biftec empanado was prepared two ways: either with bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. I knew of one individual who mixed cracker crumbs with corn flakes. And the rule of thumb was always that the meat should be cut thin. Some neighbors pounded the meat into the thinness of scalopine. In my family, we preferred thicker bictec empanado–and I still make it this way. Let me add that, for those who are shy of beef, chicken breasts or cutlets can be substituted.

In the recipe given, we do it the traditional criollo way by pounding all the spices in a mortar and pestle. If you’re a modernista, or don’t own a mortar and pestle, you can blend minced garlic cloves, the oregano, black pepper and salt to taste, along with olive oil and vinegar, and rub that onto the steaks. Then follow the rest of the recipe as given.

BIFTEC EMPANADO
(Breaded Beefsteak)

4 club steaks or beef round steaks (8 ounces per steak, about 1/2-inch thick)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
12 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Rinse meat under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Put garlic cloves, oregano, peppercorns and salt in a mortar. Pound with a pestle until crushed.
Add olive oil and vinegar and mix thoroughly.
3. Rub the seasoning into the steaks.
4. Dip each slice in the eggs, then coat with bread crumbs, pressing crumbs into both sides with the heel of the hand.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet, frying pan or deep fryer until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes depending upon thickness). Drain on absorbent paper towel and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Papas Rellenas – Stuffed Potato Balls

November 23, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Papas rellenas, or stuffed potato balls, makes a great appetizer or side dish for the Thanksgiving table. Yes, that venerable holiday is upon us again. So how about giving that potato dish a unique take. Tired of the old potato salad? Then papas rellenas is it. You family and friends will say, Wow! C’mon, liven up that Thanksgiving turkey. Make papa rellenas a part of your tradition. You won’t be disappointed.

This recipe calls for sofrito, the Puerto Rican seasoning that is ubiquitous in our cooking. A recipe is readily available in my posting of November 8th 2015. If that’s not good enough for you, you catch my video of July 10th 2014 on how to make sofrito, step-by-step. Otherwise, you can get it store bought in almost any supermarket—but it won’t the same as the genuine product.

By the way, this recipe, among many others, is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America, which is now in its third printing (Running Press, Avalon Books)

PAPAS RELLENAS
(Stuffed Potato Balls)

1 pound Idaho or Maine potatoes, peeled
2 quarts (8 cups) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound lean ground beef (can substitute ground pork, chicken or turkey, if desired)
2 tablespoons sofrito
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Rinse potatoes under cold running water and pat dry.
2. Place in a pot or medium saucepan. Add water and boil on moderate heat, covered, until tender (about 30 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, for filling, heat oil in a skillet or fry pan. Add meat and stir-fry over medium heat until meat losses its color. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, oregano and salt. Mix and sauté 3-4 minutes.
4. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Drain potatoes, place in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.
6. Add butter, egg and one teaspoon cornstarch. Mix well and let cool.
7. Spread some of the potato dough mix in the palm of your hand (keep palms wet while doing this). With fingers makes small nest in the center of palm, and stuff with a spoonful of the filling. Cover the filling with more dough mix and shape into a ball. Brush lightly with cornstarch. repeat until filling and mix are used up.
8. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Yield: 6 to 8 stuffed potato balls, depending on size.

Alcapurrias – Stuffed Green Bananas

July 16, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In Puerto Rican cuisine the most favorite savory are frituras or fritters, and cuchifritos. These are snacks, side dishes and appetizers that are deep fried. Frituras are fried vegetables, some with meat stuffing, which are mainly for noshing between meals. Cuchifritos, the other hand, are fried pork products such as pork rinds. These delicacies have been in our culture since time immemorial. In the old days, pork fat or lard was used as the frying agent. These days it’s olive oil or vegetable oil. Within the vegetable category, the best would be safflower oil or a good canola oil, if nothing else because of reasons of health. True, even today, frying in lard or Crisco will give a better taste—at the expense of hardening your arteries.

Alcapurrias come under the heading of frituras. As to the term itself, alcapurrias (pronounced: al-kah-poo-reeas), could be a traditional Caribbean Indian word or island slang of a more recent derivation. Wherever the word came from, this snack is very popular with islanders and Nuyoricans alike. Basic alcapurrias are made with green bananas; what we call guineos (ghee-neh-os). Traditionally, the other way we serve green bananas is boiled and then drizzled with olive oil. So you’re probably saying, Who the hell would eat green bananas? Simple, anyone who knows how good they are, cooked in a sauce or, as we have it here, stuffed with ground beef.

The recipe below calls for achiote, which is an ingredient used for taste and coloring. It consists of annatto seeds cooked in vegetable oil or olive oil. Annatto seeds can be obtained in 8-ounce jars in most supermarkets or any Asian or Caribbean market. Simply heat 1/2 cup of oil in a small skillet or pan, add 1 teaspoon annatto seeds, turn heat to low and cook the seeds, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. If the flame is kept on high the seeds may crack and splatter. During cooking, the oil will turn a bright orange-red color. The longer the seeds steep in oil, the deeper the hue. Remove from heat, let cool and, using a strainer, pour into a small jar or container. Cover and refrigerate. In my family we use a lot of achiote. Some of our recipes call for a whole bottle of vegetable oil (32-ounces) and one jar of annatto seeds. This would be enough to feed an army.

If you’re interested in learning more about frituras and cuchifritos, you can always pick up my cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books, Running Press) which has recently gone into its third printing. It’s chock-full of similar Boricua recipes. And even if you’re not native to the Caribbean, your taste buds will thank you for it.

ALCAPURRIAS
(Stuffed Green Bananas)

8 whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3 pounds green bananas
1 large green plantain
1/2 cup achiote (see recipe given above)
Vegetable oil for frying

1. In a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, salt and oregano. Blend in olive oil and vinegar. Add seasoning to beef and mix
2. Brown seasoned beef in a skillet over high heat (no extra oil is necessary). Reduce heat to low. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
3. Peel bananas and plantain, and cut in half. Grate the bananas and plantain using the grating disk of a food processor or a hand held shredder. Mix in a bowl with the achiote, then mash with a fork or
potato masher.
4. Spread some of the banana-plantain mix in the palm of your hand (keep palms wel while doing this).
With your fingers make asmall nest in the center of the mix in your palm, and stuff with about a spoonful of the beef filling. Cover the filling with more mix and shape into a cylinder or croquette. Repeat until filling and bananas are used up.

5. Deep-fry in hot oil (375°) until golden brown (about 4 minutes each). Remove and drain on absorbent paper towels.
Yield: About 15 alcapurrias.

Empanadillas – Stuffed Meat Pies

May 8, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Empanadillas are a delicacy popular in Nuyorican cooking. Basically, it’s a stuffed meat pie. Cubans have their own version of it, and they call it empanadas. We also have empanadas. But our version differs from the empanadillas in that the ingredients are traditionally wrapped in plantain leaves and then the stuffed empanada is baked in a medium oven. The most famous use of plantain leaves in our culture is in the preparation of pasteles (for a step-by-step recipe, see my video of 12/4/10). For pasteles, if plantain leaves are not available, we wrap them in waxed paper. With empanadas, you can use aluminum foil which works just as well.

Empanadillas need no plantain leaves or waxed paper. It’s a very straight forward recipe, and depending on the filling, empanadillas can be made large, medium, or small size. It’s just a matter of preference. The following recipe will make about 10 empanadillas, depending on size.

The recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books, Running Press) which has gone into its 3rd printing.

EMPANADILLAS
(Stuffed Meat Pies)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
4 cups flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water mixed with 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Add beef, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and ground pepper. Sauté over high heat, stirring constantly, until meat loses its red color.
2. Reduce heat to low, stir in tomato sauce and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, baking soda, sugar and salted water. Sift through the hands until the flour is moistened and a soft dough is formed.
4. Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.
5. Break off a small piece of dough and flatten into a patty. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle 6-7 inches in diameter. Fill center with a tablespoon of beef filling, and fold circle in half. Using a small plate as a guide, trim off excess dough to get a perfect half moon shape. Seal edges by pressing all the way round with the tines of a fork. Repeat until ingredients are used up, dusting the surface and empanadillas with flour, as needed, to prevent sticking.
6. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden (about 3-4 minutes). Remove and drain on absorbent paper towels.

Super Grains: Barley with Picadillo

September 20, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Due to my beloved wife’s influence, we have been eating a lot of grains lately. Nutritionists will tell you that a diet in whole grains is beneficial to good health and well being. When I was growing up back on the block, the only grain we were familiar with was rice, which is endemic to Puerto Rican cuisine both as an entrée or side dish. The only other grain we had was oats, which we ate for breakfast in the form of oatmeal. Now, since we are more aware, I’ve discovered what I call super-grains. In the next three blog postings I will discuss three of these.

We start with one of the oldest grains around—barley. In this case, pearl barley. That is, barley where the bran (the fibrous outer hull) has been removed, mainly because this makes it cook faster, and is nuttier in taste than hulled barley. I’ve come to love pearl barley, and not only as a side dish. Barley is one of the oldest cultivated grains. There are biblical references to it in Deuteronomy (8:8) where it is one of the crops that is abundant in the Land of Canaan promised to Moses by God. In Ancient Rome it was a main food for gladiators, so much so that they became known as “barley eaters.” It is also a fermentabel component for making beer. In fact, barley beer was one of the first alcoholic beverages developed by humans. Add to that, barley is high in protein, vitamins (such as niacin, riboflavin, and vitamin C) and minerals like calcium and iron.

The recipe below ties pearl barley with a favorite in Nuyorican cooking, picadillo (pronounced “pee-cah-dee-yoh”). I’ve tweaked the recipe by adding heavy cream to the sauce for a richer consistency.

PEARL BARLEY WITH PICADILLO

1 1/2 cups pearl barley
3 1/4 cups water or chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef, pork, turnkey or chicken
1 medium onion. peeled and sliced into rings
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons sofrito (see note below*)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Place barley, water or broth in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 hours.
2. While barley is cooking, prepare the picadillo: heat olive in a large skillet or saucepan. Add beef and cook on high heat until meat loses its red color.
3. Add onion and saute over medium heat until onion is transparent and meat is brown (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Add tomato sauce, oregano, salt, pepper, and sofrito. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in heavy cream, cover, and cook 2 minutes more. Traditionally, picadillo is served over the grain, or you can serve it on the side.
Yield: 4 servings.
*Note: Sofrito is a seasoning which is described in my cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America. If you don’t have sofrito, you can substitute 1 packet sasón accent, or 1 teaspoon turmeric.

Danish Stuffed Cabbage

February 6, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Stuffed Cabbage, as we know it, has been around for a while. It was popular in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. It is part of the diet of Poles and Russians; and almost every country in Europe has some version of the dish. In Jewish cuisine its been around for 2,000 years and is traditionally served on the holiday Simchat Torah, or the annual celebration that concludes the public readings of the Torah (the first five books of the Jewish bible). Yet of all the stuffed cabbage dishes I have come across, my favorite is Danish stuffed cabbage. Whether it’s Danish or not is open to interpretation. Some Swedes claim they were the first to concoct the idea of stuffing a whole cabbage and not just the cabbage leaves. I love the dish because not only is it delicious but it makes a great presentation. And I discovered a long time ago that in good cooking the eye may be just as important as the taste.

Danish stuffed cabbage is also simple to make. It doesn’t normally include cooked rice as in most stuffed cabbage recipes. It doesn’t include tomatoes either; though in my version I add tomato paste to it—or you can skip it altogether. Like all such dishes, it can include ground veal, ground pork, ground beef or a combination thereof. I keep it simple and economical and use ground chuck, This is not a fancy dish, but if you want to use veal or a more expensive cut of meat, go right ahead. Note that traditionally this dish contains a lot of butter. If you’re worried about the butter content you can use olive oil to brown the meat and the follow the rest of the recipe as is.

DANISH STUFFED CABBAGE

1 medium firm green cabbage
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (without crusts)
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground chuck
2 tablespoons tomato paste

1. Remove loose outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut a deep slice from the stem end of the cabbage (this slice will be used as a lid during cooking). Then, using a knife and spoon, hollow out the cabbage, leaving a wall about the thickness of six-seven leaves. You can save the hollowed out cabbage parts for another use such as cabbage soup or stir-fry, or other.
2. In a bowl combine 1 cup bread crumbs and the milk and soak until soft. Add the eggs, salt, pepper and sage to the soaked crumbs. set aside.
3. In a medium frying pan or skillet, heat 1/2 stick of butter, add the ground meat and cook over medium heat until meat loses its red color. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add the soaked crumbs and mix well. Stuff the cabbage shell with the mixture. Depending on the size of the cabbage you may have some meat leftover which you can use for another occasion.
4. Place the sliced lid over the cabbage and meat. Next, place the cabbage, standing up, in a saucepan and surround with boiling water about halfway up from the head. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about two hours. Check periodically to make sure you have enough water in the pan. You do not want the water to boil off and the pan to burn. Add more water if needed.
5. Remove the cabbage lid. In the frying pan brown the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and pour this mix over the top of the cabbage. To serve, cut the cabbage with its stuffing into wedges, and enjoy!
Yield: 4-5 servings.

Texas Hash with Rice

January 23, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Another cold snap here in the Northeast. For this kind of weather you need stick to the ribs food. And one of the best recipes I’ve had for years is Texas Hash with Rice. I acquired this gem back in the 1970s when it appeared in the Scripps Howard News Service, which is no longer in business. It’s a filling, tasty, and inexpensive no-frills antidote to the cold weather blues. I’ve modified the recipe according to the Rivera family palate.

You can make this recipe as hot and as spicy as you want depending upon how much chili powder you add to it. The original recipe called for 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder. That is a lot. But, if you like 3-alarm chili hash, go right ahead. Also, it called for 1 tablespoon of salt, which is quite a bit of salt. Use as much as you like, but be judicious. It also had as an ingredient, garlic powder. I prefer fresh whole garlic for a more distinctive taste. Another note: kids love this hash—and you don’t have to be a Texan to appreciate it.

TEXAS HASH WITH RICE

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small-to-medium green bell pepper, cut into small slices, then cut the slices in half
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more to taste)

Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes
2 cups cooked rice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add onion and green bell pepper, and saute 2-3 minutes.
3. Add beef, chili powder, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook until meat is no longer pink.
4. Add canned tomatoes (with their liquid), and rice.
6. Place skillet in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through. Note: If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use whatever skillet you have on hand then transfer the hash-rice mixture to a baking dish and bake as required.
Yield: 4 servings or more

Steak Flambé

January 16, 2014 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Steak Flambé or, in our jargon, Biftec Flambé was a special dish that my Uncle Phillip, the black sheep in our family, would conjure up. And it could explain some of his success with woman. Uncle Phillip was a ladies’ man extraordinaire; and as such he was a devotee of spectacle. Part of this explains the flambeing, or flaming of food at the table. That and a good bottle of wine would win over any woman’s heart, or so he claimed.So, the next time you want to impress friends, family or your partner, give this recipe a try. Uncle Phillip would approve. It should be noted that a chafing dish or electric skillet can be used when preparing this dish; and it gives pizazz to any occasion.

If you’re flaming at the table, it’s prefer that you have the sauteed onions and seasoned steaks already to go beforehand. Then finish it off at the table. Also, let me add a plug here: this recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books – Running Press). If you want to get more of Uncle Phillip’s recipes or any of the other family gems, check it out.

BIFTEC FLAMBÉ

(Steak Flambé)

4 club steaks (8 ounces per steak), about 1/2-inch thick
1 cup beef broth
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons brandy or dark Puerto Rican rum

1. Wash meat and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a small dish, heat 2 tablespoons of broth. Sauté onions on medium heat, until tender (about 3-4 minutes).
3. Add the rest of the broth, but reserve 3 tablespoons. Lower heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano and salt.
5. Using heel of hand, press seasoning onto both sides of club steaks.
6. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons broth in a large skillet. Sauté steaks, over medium-high heat, for about 3 minutes on each side (for rare steaks).
7. Lower heat, pour brandy or rum over the meat. Stand back and touch a lighted match to the liquor.
8. Serve when flame goes out, with sauteed onions spooned over.
Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Some experts contend it’s a good idea to heat the liquor before lighting in the dish. Uncle Phillip, for his part, just poured in the spirits and set it aflame. Use whatever way suits you.

Photo: Courtesy of The Literate Chef

Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher