Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Tag: #Puerto Rican Food

BEEF WITH BELL PEPPER (Carne con Pimiemto)

August 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Bell peppers, also known as sweet pepper, are called pimientos in Spanish. In our culture we love the suckers. They have an underlying sweetness that we cherish. In today’s recipe we pair pimientos with beef. In this instance, we are using beef stew meat. Back on the block, in what was then called Spanish Harlem, beef stew meat was cheap. As a result, it was a frequent dish at our table. We had steak only when we could afford it. Mostly chuck meat. A choice cut like Rib-eye, tenderloin or sirloin, or even flank steak was for special occasions. The most common thing we prepared. you guessed it, was beef stew, to which we added potatoes and tomato sauce.  And then we had Carne con Pimiento or, Beef with Bell Pepper. Just like beef stew, it would get us by. For the bell pepper, in those, days it was mainly red or green bell pepper. For this recipe we used yellow bell pepper.

Note that in this recipe we add sazón, a seasoning very popular in our cuisine. Goya brands and Bodega Badia make good versions. And, if for some reason you can’t find sazón, you can substitute a ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Also, we normally serve this dish with rice; but you can pair it with pasta. This time around we paired it with pappardelle, a large, very broad, flat pasta, similar to wide fettuccine,

CARNE CON PIMENTO
(Beef with Bell Pepper)

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef stew meat, large pieces cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper to taste
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, washed, cored and chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
1 packet sazón
¼ cup red wine, preferably dry

Instructions:

  1. Wash meat under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Season and rub the beef pieces with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano.
  3. Dust the meat with one tablespoon of the flour.
  4. Heat the oil over moderate heat in a large skillet or frypan.
  5. Add meat and brown on both sides. Remove meat from pan and keep warm,
  6. Add remaining flour to the pan or skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until lightly brown (do not burn).
  7. Add onion and bell pepper.  Cook about 3 minutes.
  8. Add water or chicken broth mixed with remaining tablespoons of flour and sazón. Add red wine and stir to combine. Cover and cook until beef is tender, about ½ hour.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

CHICKEN MAYONNAISE

July 14, 2026 / / 0 Comments

One of the most famous restaurants in American history is Delmonico’s, which gained its fame during the so-called Gilded Age (from about the late 1870s to the late 1890s). At that time, Delmonico’s was and is a place where the rich and the famous came to dine and be seen. By the way, it is still around at its historic location at 56 Beaver Street (at the corner of Beaver and William streets).  During the 1880’s its head chef was Charles Ranhofer, who created several famous dishes. Among these are Lobster Newberg, Eggs benedict and the Delmonico Steak (a thick cut of ribeye). Yet one of the unique dishes in the April 1899 Delmoinico’s menu held by the New York Public Library is ‘Chicken Mayonnaise.’ When you come to think of it, it’s a great combo: chicken breasts lathered with mayo then baked. Nothing could be simpler or more satisfying. A rich, delicious entrée.

The recipe itself is simple enough, but I tweaked it since my purview is Puerto Rican cuisine. I omitted the cheese (either Parmesan or cheddar) that is usually listed in the recipe and instead added sazón (or sasón), an ingredient popular in Puerto Rican and Latino cuisine. Goya products make a pretty good version as does Sa-són Ac’cent and Bodega Badia. It usually comes in 0.17-ounce packets If you don’t have or cannot find sazôn, you can substitute a ¼ teaspoon of turmeric. Also, in some recipes the chicken is pounded with a mallet between two sheets of plastic wrap to flatten them. I do not flatten the chicken breasts. Instead, I slice them in half lengthwise and then bake. Which means you have four servings using two breasts. Or eight servings using four chicken breasts. Your choice, depending on how many people you’re feeding at a given time.

Let me add, for the record, that I came across this historical tidbit from the Winter edition of Repast Magazine, a quarterly publication of the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor (https//culinaryhistoriansannarbor.org). They are a wonderful organization that record almost anything and everything that has to do with fine food.

So, enjoy this recipe. I served it with orzo, a small pasta that resembles a large shape of rice. If you prefer rice, then go with that. Or you can substitute any favorite grain such as quinoa, millet or couscous. Have fun.

MAYONNAISE CHICKEN (Nuyorican version)

Ingredients:

4 (4-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
1 packet  sazôn seasoning

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Rinse chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place them in a lightly greased baking dish (we prefer cast-iron)
  3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper and sazón.
  4.  Spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top of each chicken breast.
  5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a breast reads 165 degrees F.
    Yield: 6-8 servings (see above).

BACALAO EMPANANDO (Breaded Codfish)

April 3, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Nuyoricans love codfish. We boil, it, we fry it, broil, bake, you name it. When we first came to New York) from Puerto Rico in the 1950s, we discovered that cod could be found almost everywhere. From Little Italy to Chinatown, wherever there was an ethnic enclave, there was cod. And we mean salted codfish which, honestly, takes preparation.  Why? Because of the sodium content. It goes back to the old days when packing in salt was the best preservative. Thus, to this day, before cooking, salted cod has to be soaked in cold water, preferably overnight to rid it of the salt. Then you rinse it, pat dry with paper towels and it’s set for cooking. You might think, this is a lot just to cook the freakin’ fish. But, believe me, the final result is glorious; like today’s entrée: Bacalao Empanado or, Breaded Codfish.

In this instance, all you do it just encrust the cod in breadcrumbs, add the required spices, inclusive of mayonnaise and sour cream, and bake. That’s it. You can pair this dish with your favorite grain, like rice, couscous or even potatoes. This time, we served it with orzo, the small rice-shape pasta made from semolina. Lastly, you can garnish the dish with rosemary or tarragon, or whatever fresh herb you have on hand.  On a whim, we added tomato as a garnish. However you dress it up, the dish is heavenly. Have fun.

BACALAO EMPANADO
(Breaded Codfish)

Ingredients:

½ cup breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
¼ cup sour cream
¼ mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
1½-2 pounds salted cod, skinned if desired
Half a tomato for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. For the baking, you can coat a large baking pan or foil wrap with a little olive oil.
  2. Comvbine breadcrumbs, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon in another small bowl. Place fish on the baking pan or foil wrap. Spread 1 tablespoon of the yogurt mix on each piece of fish, then put 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs over it.
  3. Bake the codfish until opaque in the center and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve each portion with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sauce.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

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