Roasted Pork

 

The holidays always bring about thoughts of the traditional dishes my Cuban family eats for our get-togethers. I’ve already posted a great recipe for black beans (see recipe here), which are the perfect side dish for roasted pork. There is nothing like having a roasted pork accompanied by black beans, yucca, white rice, fufu (mashed plantains), and shrimp served during my family’s Christmas Eve meal. Roasted pork actually makes a great meal at any time of the year, not just special occasions. It also is not too difficult to make. Most of the time is spent in the cooking process, which allows you time to make other side dishes, or complete other tasks/recreation while waiting for the pork to cook. However, the amazing flavor produced by the mixture of cooking wine, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, salt and lime combined with the tenderness of the pork make this recipe worth trying!  

Roasted Pork Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

• Pork shoulder about 3 lbs
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 tablespoons of fresh garlic, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp of garlic powder
• 1 cup of white wine
• ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of whole oregano
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• Juice of one lime

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Knife, cutting board, a medium bowl, cooking tray, aluminum tray, and aluminum foil.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS                       
                       

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect and prepare a few of the ingredients. Slice the onion 1/8 inch thick. Juice the lime. Finely chop the garlic with a knife or use a garlic press. Then in a large bowl put the cooking wine, lime juice, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, chopped garlic, and onion slices.
2. Next, take the meat and use a knife to poke holes in the meat. Make sure the holes are deep enough to go across the meat. Now score the skin with a sharp knife in a cross-hatch pattern and place the port in a cooking tray (I used a glass Pyrex tray). Then put some of the cooking wine-onion-garlic-seasoning mixture into the holes you cut and spoon the remaining mixture onto the meat and around the bottom of the tray (See video demonstration for a visual; you can also use an injector to do this step). Lastly, pat the skin of the pork dry with a paper towel, and rub a ½ tablespoon of salt over the skin and the meat (See the video for a visual).
3. Now, cover the tray with the pork with aluminum foil or an aluminum tray. Place the tray in the middle of a preheated oven 365° F and cook for 1 hour.
4. After 1 hour uncover the meat, leaving the skin exposed and cover the pork meat with aluminum foil. Remove some of the condiments on the bottom of the tray and save for later in the cooking process. Then put back in the oven, and let cook for another hour.
5. Next, take the pork out of the oven and carefully cut the skin from the pork meat and cut the meat off the bone in slices or chunks. Then place the cut pork back in the tray, spoon the saved cooking wine-onion mixture over the meat, and then lay the skin on top, so it is covering the meat. Raise the oven temperature to 375° F and cook for 30 minutes.
6. By this point, the pork meat will be done and will be ready to serve. Remove the tray from the oven and place the skin on a separate tray so it can be put back into the oven for 30 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the skin is crispy. Then the skin can be served. 

Mariquitas de Platano (Plantain Chips)

Plantains are a great and versatile produce that also happen to be quite inexpensive.  One great way of making green plantains is to make plantain chips or what is called mariquitas de platano. You want to make sure you use green plantains to make mariquitas de platano as ripened (yellow or black) plantains will end up soggy. These chips are simple to make and very delicious. Everyone in my family loves these because the chips are light and crispy! Also, they pair well with a variety of food and can be eaten as a side dish or as a snack. This is another vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free friendly food. So have fun trying this recipe and enjoy! 

Mariquitas de Platano (Plantain Chips) Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 or more green plantains
• Corn or vegetable oil for frying
• Salt to taste (optional)

TOOLS NEEDED:

• Food processor slicer for a standard mixer or handheld slicer
• A small/medium pot, knife, cutting board, and wire strainer

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS             
                                 

                                                                         

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect the ingredients. Peel the plantain(s) and cut it in half (Depending on the size of the plantain, the pieces should be 4 ¼ to 5 inches in size) 
2. Slice the plantains using a food processor, standard mixer attachment, or handheld (mandoline) slicer. If you have none of those, you could also use a peeler. The pieces should be thin, about 1 to 2 mm thick. 
3. Now put oil in a pot about 1 inch deep. Heat the oil on high heat and use a plantain slice to check if the oil is hot enough. If the oil bubbles, the oil is ready.  
4. Reduce the heat to medium-high and begin frying the plantains. Make sure you separate the plantain slices when placing them in the frying pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan or let the plantain slices overlap or they will clump and get stuck together. Cook the plantain slices for about 20 seconds or remove them from the oil when the edges begin to brown. (Note: the plantain slices will cook very quickly in the oil and will continue to cook once removed from the oil, so be sure to remove them from the oil when the edges begin to brown). Use a wire or mesh spider strainer to remove the plantains from the oil and place on a plate/tray covered with paper towels. Once finished frying, the plantains are ready to serve. The plantains can also be saved to eat later or at any time as a snack.