Cuban Party Ideas

[Pooh_Friend#1]

At our house we make big batches of black beans since it is a little time consuming to make and we eat them a lot. We freeze it and then when we want some I dump it in a crockpot and leave it on low for a few hours. Since we use a lot of vinegar, the beans don't become soggy or mushy.

 

[MAKmom]

At our house we make big batches of black beans since it is a little time consuming to make and we eat them a lot. We freeze it and then when we want some I dump it in a crockpot and leave it on low for a few hours. Since we use a lot of vinegar, the beans don't become soggy or mushy.

I'm going to make the beans tonight & freeze them this is great news.

 

[cristit14]

Cuban black beans and rice (We do yellow rice.)
Palomilla - breaded steak that was marinated with a lot of lime and garlic.
Cuban Picadillo
guava turnovers
cuban coffee
Bollos (fried black eyed peas and garlic)

Another crockpot recipe for Ropa Vieja:
http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/358953-Ropa-Vieja

My DH is Cuban so we make a lot of cuban food. If you need better descriptions let me know. I use the recipes that my MIL gave to me that has been passed down to each generation. Black beans is really easy and you can make up ahead and just heat up in the crockpot. What we do is boil the beans until soft, then add apple cider vinegar and keep the beans boiling for an hour. After the hour is up I sautee olive oil, bay leaves, garlic, and oregano in a fry pan together, then add that to the vinegar/black bean mix and continue to cook down for a few more hours.

My DH's family makes a cuban potato salad but it isn't the original cuban potato salad. What they do is boil the potatoes. When they are ready they thinly slice potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and onions and layer them. In between layers they squirt some olive oil and red wine vinegar. Let set overnight in the frigde and then take out 30 minutes before serving.

ok, Heidi, when are we coming to your house for dinner. That sounds yummy

 

[NotUrsula]

^^^ Yes, only a Cuban would appreciate that kind of reaction. I totally get it. It's got to be the real stuff or nothing at all.

Nah, trust me; a Cajun would get it, too. No one in South Louisiana uses instant rice, either.

White rice is the easiest thing in the world, and I've never understood how people seem to have such trouble with it. The key is the pan. It needs to have a heavy bottom and a tight-sealing lid. Then all you need to do is put in two parts water to one part rice, and add about a tsp of oil to prevent it being sticky if you don't want it sticky. Cover it and put it on low heat for 20 minutes. Done and done.

 

[PearlySwan]

Pearly, do I serve the potatoes with the shredded beef?

If you want to. That's fine. We usually eat the shredded beef with white rice and ripe fried plantains called 'maduros.' Maduros are the ripe plantains (the peel is yellow with black patches and they are soft all over). Tostones are green plantains that are not yet ripe. You can serve the shredded beef with white rice and tostones or maduros. Maduros have a sweet taste to them. Tostones are not sweet and many people put a dash of salt on them before serving.

Can I keep the rice & black beans in a crock pot until I'm ready to serve?

Absolutely! That's what we do. We keep it in a crock pot on low and then serve over white rice.

Can I make it then reheat it?

Definitely! That's what we do to save time. You can even freeze it. However, if you are making the frijoles tonight, you need not freeze them for Saturday. Simply put them in the refrigerator. They'll keep fine until then.

I want to be done cooking for the most part by 6:30 when my friends arrive then have an hour of cocktails.

I totally get it! You don't want to be a slave to the kitchen when guests arrive. Have everything, or mostly everything, done ahead of time. The one and only exception to this rule is if you choose to make 'maduros' instead of 'tostones.' Maduros always taste better right off the frying pan.

 

[PearlySwan]

Nah, trust me; a Cajun would get it, too. No one in South Louisiana uses instant rice, either.

White rice is the easiest thing in the world, and I've never understood how people seem to have such trouble with it. The key is the pan. It needs to have a heavy bottom and a tight-sealing lid. Then all you need to do is put in two parts water to one part rice, and add about a tsp of oil to prevent it being sticky if you don't want it sticky. Cover it and put it on low heat for 20 minutes. Done and done.

^^^ Funny I was telling my best friend today how in some ways Cajun cooking reminded me of Cuban cuisine. I visited New Orleans and vicinity several times and loved the music, food, and the Creole language. My experience was a total immersion in what seemed a completely different culture. It's an amazing fusion of African, French, Spaniard, Native American, and German cultures all blended to perfection. Not too much different than what happened in Cuba.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

ok, Heidi, when are we coming to your house for dinner. That sounds yummy

Anytime!!!! On our next get together, I will make some cuban food and bring it. The kids won't like it but if you like vinegar, garlic and lime you would like a lot of the Cuban dishes that I do! Although my girls love Ropa Vieja.

Pearly - When you do Ropa Vieja, how do you shred the beef? My DH likes it really really thin so it takes forever to do because we do it with forks and fingers! (We don't do the crockpot version, we actually cook it on the stove for several hours) So I was just wondering if there was a secret way that I am missing!

 

[PearlySwan]

Anytime!!!! On our next get together, I will make some cuban food and bring it. The kids won't like it but if you like vinegar, garlic and lime you would like a lot of the Cuban dishes that I do! Although my girls love Ropa Vieja.

Pearly - When you do Ropa Vieja, how do you shred the beef? My DH likes it really really thin so it takes forever to do because we do it with forks and fingers! (We don't do the crockpot version, we actually cook it on the stove for several hours) So I was just wondering if there was a secret way that I am missing!

^^^ I use a pressure cooker to cook the flank steak or sirloin tips (or any other kind of beef that is easy to shred). Using the pressure cooker makes the meat more tender than cooking it the traditional way using a stockpot. I've made it on the crockpot too but prefer the texture of the meat after using the pressure cooker (closer to mom's home cooking YUM!). As far as shredding techniques go, I'm afraid forks and hands are the one and only tried and true method of shredding the beef. But as I said, if the meat is more tender it makes it seem like less of a hassle. If you have a pressure cooker try cooking the meat there first and see if you like the results better that way.

 

[PearlySwan]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5WcGOUr768 Omara Portuondo (there is a bit of Jazz in this number)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=whs1FAkPbTM Ibrahim Ferrer (Guaracha)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGufPcR7Hc Manuel Puntillita Licea (Descarga)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd8aGFXb_NU Eliades Ochoa (Guajira)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rm29IT5sms Ruben Gonzalez pianist (Son)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeiiCKa702A Afro Cuban All Star (Danzon-Cha)

 

[PearlySwan]

www.nme.com/video/id/IkRIL2wosHo/search/Orlando

^^^^Orlando Cachaito Lopez "Redencion." (This is a very nice one )


http://s0.ilike.com/play#Estrellas+...2.0.2.60,std_952433afcce74e1da98762c993c6da52

^^^ Estrellas de Areito. "Que Traigan el Guaguanco."

 

[MAKmom]

I've been watching Cuban cooking on Youtube . I'm a little nervous about cooking the Pork in the crock pot with the Mojo.

Should I roast it covered with foil instead? I could only find a dry rub used on Youtube...how do you roast it with the Mojo in a bottle. The lady on youtube used a rack with onions on it...it looked awesome!

My Black Beans are soaking & I marinated the olives last night....the panic begins.

I have to go to work now...and I have to coach a Volleyball game sat

Thank you everyone!!!

 

[MAKmom]

I made the Black beans should they be soupy looking do you strain them?