Pasteles are a singular creation made from common ingredients: root plants stuffed with meat. The meat is usually pork, but it can also be chicken or turkey. At home it’s prepared only on the most special occasions. When I returned home from Vietnam this was the first dish my mother made on honor of my arrival. If you’re traditional you have to use plantain leaves to wrap the thing. If they can’t be found, then wax paper will do. Plantain leaves are abundant in Caribbean and Asian markets. These days they come frozen wrapped in bundles of 12 or more. Believe me, there is a difference between pasteles made with plantain leaves and those wrapped in wax paper.
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Oswald Rivera
Author, Warrior, and Teacher
Category: pork (page 6 of 7)
If you have some pork chops on hand, this is one of the easiest recipes to prepare. Back on the block, when we made this dish, it was called chuletas en caserola. And it was something we did when we got tired of the usual pan-fried or stewed pork chops we served with the traditional rice and beans. It was a change-of-pace dish that the whole family enjoyed.
The dish is simplicity itself: layered potatoes, broccoli (you can substitute green beans or asparagus), and pork chops on top. Then everything is baked till chops are tender, and that’s it. The dish calls for the seasoning ingredients to be pounded in a mortar. That’s traditional in Nuyorican cooking. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can simple mix 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the 3 garlic cloves (minced), the oregano, salt and olive oil in a small pan or cruet, and then rub the seasoning on the pork chops. It’ll give you the same affect, although the flavor will not be as pronounced.
Notice that in the dish, we sometimes sprinkle grated cheddar (or whatever cheese you have on hand) on top of the veggies. This is optional. In our clan some liked the cheese included and some did not. Your call. That said, this is a one-pot entreé that goes well with a light red wine such as a Bardolino, Valpolicella, Beaujolais, or Gamay.
CHULETAS EN CASEROLA
(Pork Chop Casserole)
4 loin pork chops
12 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium potatoes, washed, scrubbed, and cubed (do not peel)
1 large head broccoli
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse pork chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano and salt in a mortar. Blend in olive oil.
4. Rub each chop thoroughly with the seasoning. Set aside.
5. Place potatoes in bottom of a casserole dish (I prefer cast-iron).
6. Wash the broccoli in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut off the broccoli florets and arrange on top of potatoes. You can reserve the stems for another use (such as broccoli soup). Pour chicken broth over vegetables. Place pork chops on top and bake for 45 minutes.
8. If using cheese, bake the chops for 40 minutes, sprinkle cheese on broccoli, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
Here we are again, the Easter holidays. Easter dinner was a big deal in our family back in Spanish Harlem. And it was always lamb. Sometimes my mother would make lamb and a roast pork shoulder (pernil) for those who didn’t like lamb. But lamb was the mainstay.
It wasn’t until I traveled down South that I discovered that ham was the biggie. And by that I mean a big, juicy Smithfield ham. This ham is a specific type of ham that comes from Virginia. It is usually a country ham that been naturally cured in salt and brown sugar. The other type is a smoked ham, which is cured in a brine consisting of sugar, salt and spices, and are fully cooked. You get them bone-in (with the bone) or boneless for easy slicing. Of course, if all fails or you can’t get these items, then there is canned ham, like Spam, but larger. This is the last option, short of death. There is also what is know as “Virginia ham.” This is similar to the Smithfield, but it does not come from Smithfield Virginia proper.
Now that I’ve got you properly confused, let me say that I used a smoked ham for the following recipe. It’s the only type I could get at the time. And it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was pretty good since I cooked it in maple syrup ( a suggestion from my wife—who loves maple syrup, especially from Vermont). The recipe is amazingly easy, and the result are fabulous. Not the Nuyorican pernil, but a good substitute.
BAKED HAM
1 smoked ham (3-4 pounds)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Prick ham all over with the tines of a fork; and rub with ground cloves.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the maple syrup and combine.
4. Rub ham with maple-butter mixture, using a brush or, of you don’t have a brush, using your hands.
5. Place in a baking pan and bake 15 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
6. Place in serving dish or platter and slice thinly.
Yield: 4 servings.
Grilling season again. And pork chops are a natural for this type of cooking. In this recipe we’re using pork loin chops. They’re real meaty, and with this zesty marinated recipe, real tasty. I’ve added fresh mint to the recipe for that extra zing.
GRILLED PORK CHOPS
4-5 loin pork chops (about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
3 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Wash pork chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Prick pork chops on each side with a knife or the tines of a fork. Coat both sides of chops with marinade mixture, rubbing well into the meat. Place in a covered dish and let stand at least 2 hours in the refrigerator for flavors to develop.
4, Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill. Fire should be moderately hot.
5. Grill about 10 minutes per side or until done.
Yield: 4 or more servings.
There are those of us who like pork chops, and there are those of us who like carrots. Problem is, how to mix the two together? In my family, following our Nuyorican roots, we normally served pork chops with yellow rice or bianda (assorted boiled root plants like taro, christophene and cassava). And, if bianda or rice wasn’t around, then we did potatoes. We seldom, if ever, served it with carrots. Then came the inspiration of cooking pork with glazed carrots. Now, for the glaze you can use either honey, marmalade or, my favorite, maple syrup. Nothing could be easier, or tastier. If you want to be fancy about it, add some cheese, preferably a soft cheese like Boursin, goat cheese, Camenbert or even brie. However, do not use a feta cheese—it’s too salty for this dish.Some also add roasted pistachios or almonds. This is optional, but it does give it a continental flair.
PORK CHOPS WITH GLAZED CARROTS
4 (10 ounce) pork chops
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
4 tablespoons butter (preferably unsalted)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup maple syrup (can substitute honey or marmalade)
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 ounces fresh Boursin, goat cheese or any soft cheese
2 tablespoons roasted pistachios or almonds (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
1.Wash chops under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a bowl, combine the pork chops with the olive oil, pepper, garlic and oregano. Rub the seasoning thoroughly into the chops.
3. Heat a large frying pan or skillet (we prefer cast iron) over high heat. Add the chops and sear on both sides (about 2-3 minutes). Add the wine, cover pan, lower heat to medium-low and cook until medium-well, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chops from pan, set aside and keep warm.
4. In same pan, add butter, and once butter starts to melt, add water and maple syrup. When liquid starts to boil, add carrots. Season with salt and pepper, cover pan and cook until carrots are just tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan, increase heat to medium-high and cook until carrots are glazed with the syrup.
5. Add dollops of cheese, roasted pistachios (if using), and thyme. Stir to mix.
6. Divide chops among four serving plates, and serve with glazed carrots.
Yield: 4 servings.
We Puerto Ricans are inveterate rice eaters. It has been with us since anyone can remember. Mainly because rice was (and is still) relatively inexpensive; easy to cook; and we prepare it in infinite ways: rice with beans, rice with fish, rice with chicken, rice with squid, yellow rice, pilaf rice, ext. My Father, of late memory, ate rice everyday. It made no difference what the entrée was, a bowl or rice had to be there. In our culture it was, and still is, mainly white rice. In recent years some of us have become more health conscious, and some homes may serve brown rice. But, from what I’ve seen, this is more the exception than the rule.
Since my journey from the block, I’ve discovered that there are multiple varieties of rice out there. There is Jasmine rice, and Indian Basmati, Japanese Nishiki rice, aromatic Bengali Kalizira rice, red rice, wild rice, Italian Arborio rice, and the list goes on. According to the UK Rice Association, there are over 40,000 different varieties of rice. Go figure that one out.
Glutinous black rice is the unpolished whole grain of regular sticky white rice. It’s not actually black in color, it’s more of a dark purple. And it’s very healthy for you. It contains no fat, and a 1-cup serving has only one gram of sugar. It’s rich in protein, a good source of iron (which your body needs to make blood cells); and it contains no sugar or cholesterol. It’s a very popular and common dish in Southeast Asia, India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.
In the recipe given below, I’ve combine glutinous black rice with sausages, specifically chorizo, the spicy Spanish sausage so unique to our cuisine. The nutty, chewy flavor of the black rice goes great with the chorizo. A criollo dish by way of Asia.
MILLED GLUTINOUS BLACK RICE AND SAUSAGE
2 cups milled glutinous black rice
4 1/2 cups water or broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
3 tablespoons sofrito (or 2 cloves minced garlic mixed with 2 teaspoons turmeric and 2 tablespoons
fresh chopped parsley)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 chorizo sausages, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1. Wash rice and drain.
2. Heat oil in a heavy kettle or pot. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add sofrito and tomato sauce. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
3. Add chorizo and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the rice. Add water or broth, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil. Cover tightly and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings.
Meat Loaf in Persia? Yes, Persian culinary history has a form of meatloaf. They call it Kofta Bil Sania. It actually translates to something like “Ground Meat Loaf in a Tray.” Now, in the Rivera clan, we’re meatloaf fanatics. My mother made the best meatloaf ever. She made it Puerto Rican style. It wasn’t anything like the Quaker Oats recipe in the back of the box. Her meat loaf (or butifarrón, as she called it) had crushed peppercorns, lots of garlic, onions, green bell peppers sweet chili peppers (aji dulce), plus the usual eggs, tomato sauce and cracker crumbs. It was heavenly.
Still, I’m always on the lookout for some good recipe of this famed dish, if only to compare it to my mom’s masterpiece. When I came across this Persian recipe, I was intrigued. It contained spices I didn’t usually associate with meatloaf: such things as cinnamon, allspice, cumin. A totally different flavor concept. I’m told this recipe is still very popular in modern day Iraq and other point in the Middle East. I would say this recipe predates the American version of meatloaf probably by centuries. Persian cuisine has a colorful and storied history. During the Middle Ages, when western man was dining on rancid mutton and stale ale, the Persian Caliphate was enjoying exotic fruits from Central Asia, cooking with spices from India and China and using such ingredients as truffles and rosewater in their cooking. Kofta Bil Sania harks back to that time.
PERSIAN MEAT LOAF
(Kofta Bil Sania)
1 pounds ground lamb (can substitute beef, veal, chicken or turkey, if desired)
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground allspice
butter (for greasing baking pan or dish), and about 2 tablespoons cut into small shavings
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the meat with the onion and garlic. Add salt, pepper, and allspice, mixing spices thoroughly into the meat.
3. Spread the meat mixture onto an buttered baking dish (I prefer cast-iron), and flattened the meat with a hand or wooden spoon. The meat should be 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Top with butter shavings. Place in oven and bake until the surface of the meat is browned, about 40 minutes. It will give off a nice, roasted aroma.
4. Meanwhile, mix the tomato paste with the water, and pour over the meat. Continue baking for about 10 minutes more, or until the sauce has been absorbed and the meat is cooked thoroughly.
5. Invert the meatloaf onto a serving dish. Garnish with parsley and serve cut into wedges like a cake.
Yield: 4 servings
Note: I’m told that another variation is to flavor the meat with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander. Feel free to experiment.
Breaded pork chops (Chuletas Empanadas) are a family favorite in my neck of the woods. In the Nuyorican method, we have two ways of making them. One quicky method is to apply the breading and then bake slowly in a medium oven (350°). The other way is listed in the recipe given below. Here, lean pork chops are required, about 1/2-inch thick. They are lightly pounded, breaded and cooked in oil. In the Puerto Rican manner, the herbs used are crushed in a mortar. You can buy a mortar and pestle almost anywhere these days. It can be wood (my preference), aluminum or cast iron. It is an essential tool in Caribbean cooking. We usually served breaded pork chops with yellow rice or a salad.
An added note: This recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Thunders Mouth Press – Avalon Books), which is currently going into its third printing. If you’re interested in other such recipes, by the book, make me happy.
CHULETAS EMPANADAS
(Breaded Pork Chops)
8 pork chops, 1/2-inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
9-10 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoons fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
1. Rinse chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a mortar, crush peppercorn, garlic, oregano and salt. Add olive oil and vinegar, and mix.
3. Place chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a mallet or a heavy cleaver.
4. Rub seasoning into the pork chops.
5. Dip each chop in the beaten eggs, then coat with bread crumbs, pressing crumbs into both side with heel of hand.
6. Heat oil in a large skillet or frying pan and cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes per side). Drain on absorbent paper towels.
Yield: 4 servings.
Tostones are fried green plantains. Its probably the most popular side dish in Puerto Rican cuisine. It’s also popular in Dominican and Cuban cooking. In our family we have tostones frequently, which reflects our cultural norm. Go to any Caribbean restaurant, and tostones will be on the menu.This is not the first time we’ve featured fried green plantains on this blog. It was one of the first recipes we noted when I began this journey (see post of 9/9/10).
For tostones, you need green (not ripe plantains). Yes, ripe plantains can also be prepared, but that’s another story. Green plantains (platanos) can be found in most supermarkets these days, If not, any Caribbean or Asian market will usually carry them. This time around I’ve paired tostones with another favorite, broiled lamb chops. A light red wine, like a Gamay, Bardolino or Beaujolais, will complement the meat very well. If not, then a good robust beer or ale will will do (not that light beer stuff that taste like water).
TOSTONES WITH BROILED LAMB CHOPS
3 green plantains
4 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
Vegetable oil for frying
4 lamb chops, about 1-inch thick
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1. Remove skin from the plantains. This is done by cutting tips at both ends; then cut a slit along the length of the plantain and peel off. To facilitate easier handling, some cooks dip plantains in hot water and then remove the skin. Once plantains are peeled, cut into diagonal slices about 1-inch thick. Reserve peels: typically, the unbroken skin of the plantain is used for flattening the tostones.
2. Combine water and salt in a bowl and soak plantain slices for 30 minutes. Drain well.
3. While plantains are soaking, in a bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and turmeric. Add the lamb chops and marinate for at least 1 hour. Or you can place the lamb chops in a large zip-lock bag, add the ingredients, and marinate that way in the fridge.
4. Broil the lamb chops in a very hot preheated broiler. Brown on both sides, cooking a total of 10 minutes for rare, 15 for medium, 20 minutes for well done.
5. While lamb chops are broiling, fill a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet halfway with vegetable oil. Heat oil until very hot (373 degrees F.). Deep fry plantains for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat until golden yellow.
6. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
7. Place a plantain slice between two plantain peels, envelope fashion, and pound flat with the palm of the hand. Repeat until all slices are pressed. Return plantain slices to skillet and cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes longer). Drain on absorbent paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Three plantains will render about 12-15 tostones.
8. Transfer lamb chops to a warm platter, and place a pat of butter on each chop. Sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley. Serve with tostones.
Yield: 4 servings.
I got this recipe out of a cookbook which I acquired years ago. It was an old cookbook from 1968: Quick and Easy Dishes – Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers. Remember “Home Economics?” Is it taught in the schools anymore? Anyway, this recipe caught my eye. It was simple enough: pork chops, salt, pepper, onion and tomato. I modified it in that I added cheese, olive oil, oregano garlic, and parsley. You could say I’ve made them Nuyorican Supreme Pork Chops.
PORK CHOPS SUPREME
4 pork chops, about 1 inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely mince
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 slices tomato
4 slices cheese, preferably a goat cheese like Manchego (but you can substitute Pecorino, Romano, Parmesan,
or other)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash chops under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
4. Rub the seasoning into the meat.
5. Place chops in a baking pan or dish. Top with a tomato slice. Add enough water to cover bottom of pan. Place in oven and bake for one hour.
6. Top each chop with slice of cheese. Transfer to broiler part of oven and broil 1-2 minutes until cheese melts.
7. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
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