Best Cuban Stew Recipes

POTAJE DE GARBANZOS (CUBAN GARBANZO BEAN STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, Sazón seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darker in color and thickened, about 1 minute. Add the vino seco to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
• Add the garbanzo beans, potatoes, chorizo and 5 cups of water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are very soft, about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes have softened, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of them against the side of the pot to thicken the stew. Serve the stew over hot rice, if desired.

CUBAN BEEF STEW: CARNE CON PAPAS

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet, heat oil and saute onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic, peppers, tomatoes, spices, and meat and saute for 5 more minutes. Add Sherry and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add potatoes and enough water to cover meat and potatoes. Let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Can be served with white rice.

RABO ENCENDIDO (CUBAN OXTAIL STEW)

Steps:

• Whisk vino seco, 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt together in a large bowl. Add oxtails and mix well to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
• Drain oxtails, discarding all but 1/2 cup of the marinade.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and sear oxtails until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pot. Saute potatoes, onion, and carrots until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Mash garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a coarse paste in a mortar and pestle. Add garlic paste to the pot; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in green olives, bay leaves, sazon completa, sazon seasoning, and allspice. Pour in reserved marinade, tomato sauce, and chicken broth.
• Return oxtails to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until oxtails are fork tender and falling off the bone, about 4 hours.

CUBAN BLACK-BEAN STEW WITH RICE

Steps:

• Prepare rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add beans, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve beans over rice, with garnishes, if desired.

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN MEAT STEW)

Steps:

• Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with Adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in 3 cups of water, tomato sauce, Sazon, beef bouillon and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water in 1/4 cup measurements, if pot becomes dry. Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

CUBAN PORK AND SWEET POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Add pork, sweet potatoes, Rotel, green pepper, black beans, garlic, orange juice, green onions, red onion, salt, cumin and pepper to slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or on high setting for about 4 hours.
• Stir in lime juice, cilantro and parsley; cover slow cooker and cook for 10 minutes more.

CUBAN STYLE PORK STEW

Steps:

• Combine flour and spices in plastic bag.
• Half at a time, shake meat in flour mixture to coat then brown in oil in hot skillet.
• Remove meat from pan, then saute onion and peppers until tender.
• Return meat to pan along with vegetables, add remaining flour, broth and sweet potato; stir to blend flour.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 - 45 minutes, until pork is tender. Stir in plantain and black beans and heat through.
• Serve over cooked white rice.

REAL CUBAN RABO ENCENDIDO (OXTAIL STEW)

Steps:

• Marinate the meat in a mixture of olive oil, dry cooking wine, and salt at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain marinade and discard.
• Brown meat on both sides in olive oil. Don't deep fry, just use enough oil to lightly toast the meat.
• Remove the meat and add onion, peppers, carrots, and potatoes.
• Saute until the onions are somewhat translucent.
• Add garlic/salt mixture and continue cooking for about a minute.
• Add remaining ingridients, including meat.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is fork tender. About 2 hours.
• Remove bay leaves and serve hot over white rice.

AJIACO CRIOLLO--CUBAN CREOLE STEW

Steps:

• Make the broth: Cover the tasajo with cold water and soak it for at least 8 hours. (There is no need to refrigerate it.) Change the water and continue soaking for another hour. Drain again and rinse under cold running water. Put the tasajo in a large, heavy pot and add about 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Add the pork, beef brisket, and bay leaf, and let the three meats cook together until tender. Remove the pot from the heat and skim as much fat as possible from the broth. (If you have time, the best way is to refrigerate the broth overnight until the fat solidifies and then remove it.)
• Make the Sofrito: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and green pepper until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the pepper, cumin, and tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the sofrito to the broth and simmer, covered, while you prepare the vegetables.
• Complete the Dish: Peel the malanga, boniato, name, yucca, and calabaza and cube them. Cut the corn and green plaintains into 1 1/2-inch pieces. With a knife, split the skin of each piece of green plantain and open it away from the center as if you were taking off a coat. Sprinkle the plantain pieces with the lime juice. Slit the semi-ripe and ripe plantains lengthwise and slice them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Do not remove their skins or they will disintegrate in the stew. Add the green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 15 minutes, add the semiripe plantains. After another 15 minutes, add the ripe plantains and let them simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Serve hot in soup plates or, cocido-style, with the meats, vegetables, and broth in separate dishes. (Each diner removes the skin from the semi-ripe plantains themselves).

CUBAN PORK STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown meat in 2 tablespoons olive oil, add flour and set aside. In a large dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in 1 T olive oil until translucent. Combine pork, sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, white wine, red wine vinegar, capers, parsley, cilantro, cumin, pepper ad chili sauce and cook until tender. Top with ¼ c. chopped cilantro. Serves 8-10 May be prepared 2 days in advance. Keep covered while cooking so it stays moist.

CUBAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until transparent. Stir in cubed meat, and cook until browned.
• Stir in red bell pepper, bay leaf, cumin, and oregano; cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in sherry, tomato sauce, vinegar, olives, raisins, and capers. Pour in enough water to just cover meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer until fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if the stew becomes too thick.
• Stir potatoes into the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, until potatoes are almost tender. Uncover, and cook until done.

WW CUBAN-STYLE PORK AND SWEET POTATO SLOW COOKER STEW

Steps:

• Place potato, pork, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, scallions, salt, cumin, and pepper in a 4 to 5 qt crock pot, cover and cook on low setting.
• Stir in lime juice and cilantro, cover slow cooker and cook for 5 minutes.

CUBAN-STYLE PORK STEW

Steps:

• Cut Pork shoulder roast into 2 inch cubes.
• In a medium bowl, stir together garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and cumin. Add in the zest, juices and vinegar, stirring to make a paste.
• Add the pork pieces and toss until evenly coated.
• Cut the onions into think slices and arrange on the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Pour the broth over the onions.
• Arrange the pork in an even layer over the onions, pouring over any reserved marinade.
• Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or 8 hours on low) until the pork is fork-tender.

CUBAN CHICKEN STEW (GUISADO DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Mix the garlic, salt, pepper and paprika to a paste.
• Rub into the chickens thoroughly, inside and out.
• If possible, season the chickens the day before they are to be used.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or casserole.
• Add the onions and saute for 5 - 15 minutes, stirring frequently; remove & set aside.
• Add the chicken pieces & brown well on all sides; remove & set aside.
• Pour the wine into the pot & deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom.
• Return the onions & chicken pieces to the saucepan along with the bay leaf.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
• Add small additional amounts of water if needed.
• Add the potatoes and stir gently.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes
• Correct seasoning.
• Add the beans, olives, and pimentos and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
• The flavour will be greatly improved if the stew is prepared early in the day and reheated before serving.

CUBAN PORK STEW

Steps:

• Cut pork into 1" cubes, sweet potatoes in 1/2" cubes, slice scallions thin, and mince garlic.
• Add all to large crock pot and cook on low for seven hours.
• Stir in lime juice and cilantro; cover slow cooker and cook for 5 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving (including some cooking liquid.).

CARNE CON PAPAS, CUBAN BEEF AND POTATO STEW

Steps:

• 1. Season chunks of beef or veal meat with salt and pepper and garlic powder.
• 2. Heat olive oil in the a heavy pot that has a tight fitting lid. Saute your meat in the oil for about 5 minutes.
• 3. Add onions, green peppers, mashed garlic, and parsley continue to saute until onions and pepper are limp.
• 4. Next add wine, raisins, bay leaves, olives and tomato sauce. Stir well continue to cook for about 5 more minutes over a medium flame.
• 5. Next reduce heat or flame to low add the water, the mashed tomatos, capers, seasonings, cumin, oregano, pepper, more salt,and packet of Goya Seasoning. cover with the lid on a low flame let meat cook for 1 hour or more until meat is almost fork tender.
• 6. When the meat is almost tender add your potatoes, balsamic vinegar, a little more water perhaps another half cup; adjust the seasonings salt and pepper. Cover again and slow cook until potatos are fork tender.
• 7. You may have to add a little more water in a few increments until potatoes are done. Each time you check to see if potatoes are done you check to make sure sauce has not dried up. You add a little more water, mix and spoon sauce over everything almost as if basting every 20 minutes or so until potatoes are cooked through. Serve with white rice and a salad and some crusty Cuban bread if Cuban bread is not available use Italian, or French bread. Enjoy delicious Carne con Papas!

CUBAN FLANK STEAK AND PEPPER STEW

Steps:

• Season flank steak and brown on all sides in a Dutch oven. Remove. Add diced vegetables and lightly brown. Add vinegar, broth and seasonings. Add meat and simmer 2 1/2 hours over low heat.
• Let cool 30 minutes. Remove meat to a large bowl and shred. Strain solids, reserving cooking liquid.
• Saute sliced vegetables in now empty Dutch oven; do not allow to burn. Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes. Return meat and enough reserved cooking liquid, for desired consistency, and adjust seasonings.

CUBAN-STYLE PORK & SWEET POTATO SLOW COOKER STEW

Steps:

• Place potatoes, prok, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, scallions, salt, cumin, and pepper in a 4-5 qt. slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 7 hours. Stir in lime juice and cilantro; cover slow cooker and cook for 5 min. more. Yields about 1-1/2 C. per serving (inlcuding some cooking liquid).

RABO ENCENDIDO(CUBAN OXTAIL STEW)

Steps:

• Coat oxtail pieces with the flour and Cajun seasoning, and sear them in 3 tablespoons oil and remove from the pan.
• Then degrease the pan and deglaze with port and reserve for later use.
• In a separate pot caramelize the onions, carrot, celery and peppers, then deglaze with the red wine.
• Add the oxtails to the vegetables.
• Continue by adding in the tomatoes, chipotle, sherry, bay leaves and thyme and simmer for approximately 3 hours.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

CUBAN STEW

Steps:

• If using beef cubes, boil beef cubes for 1 1/2 hours.
• Shred beef and save.
• Saute onions, peppers and chorizo in oil until vegetables are translucent.
• Add the garbanzo beans with the juice from the can, the tomato sauce, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, potatoes and shredded beef and simmer covered for about an hour and a half- I like the potatoes to be very soft- cook to your preferred doneness.