I’d hesitate to call this Nouveau Cuban as it’s really a classic Vaca Frita preparation with a different protein. I don’t see why you couldn’t make it with pork or lamb (fish, not so much). It’s very flavorful and the cubanocity rings in your mouth with each bite.

• It’s goin down:

• For the Mojo (“mo-ho” not “mo-joe”, Austin Powers be damned):

• 3/4 CupFresh orange juice
• 2/3 Cup Fresh lemon juice (lime works too)
• 4-6 ClovesGarlic
• 1 tbspSalt
• Combine ingredients and stir to dissolve the salt.

• Stage 1:

• 2boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.25 lbs.)
• 1/2 chicken bouillon cube

Place the chicken breasts that you rinsed in a pot and just barely cover with cold water.  Add the bouillon and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 20-30 minutes (you really can’t overcook the chicken like this).  When the chicken is done, remove and set aside.   You can discard the broth you just made or you can strain and reuse at your leisure–chicken soup anybody?

When the chicken has cooled enough, shred, along the grain, with your fingers or a fork into 1/2 inch strips or if you like your chicken-fried-cow more crispy, shred even finer.   Place in a bowl and pour in Mojo, such that the chicken is immersed and covered by the mojo.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour but no more than 3 hours.

• Stage 2:

• 1medium onion, sliced into thin (approx 1/8th”) rounds
• 2 tbsp Vegetable or canola or corn oil

Remove the chicken from the mojo and dry with paper towels on a plate. Important: Reserve the leftover mojo.

Place a heavy bottomed, shallow skillet or frying pan under medium-high heat.   Once the pan is hot, add the oil, it will shimmer and maybe smoke a little.  This is good.  Add the dried chicken shreds in one even layer to the pan.   Using my trusty Lodge 12″ cast iron pan,  I can only do about half the chicken at a time.  Do not stir-fry, allow the chicken to brown, nearly burn.  After about 2 or 3 minutes, turn over the chicken evenly in order to brown the other side (the higher the walls of the skillet, the trickier this is).

After another 2 or 3 minutes, toss in the sliced onion and stir fry a bit.  When the onions have begun to get soft ( about a minute) add a “chorro” of the reserved mojo and continue stir-frying.  Oh yeah, un “chorro” equals about 3 tablespoons.  You’ll get some nice steam action to finish cooking the onions along with mad flava.  Stir fry for another minute or so and once the mojo has mostly evaporated, pour out onto a platter.  I like this best with just white rice but I ain’t gonna complain about some frijoles negros over the rice.

1/4 cup The best tasting EVOO you can get your hands on
1-2 tbsp Fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp Fresh minced shallots
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Salt (to taste)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly with a whisk or a food processor. Taste. It should be somewhat potent in acidity and salt so adjust accordingly. Let sit at least one hour, overnight is even better. Re-Whisk prior to tossing with your salad in a cold bowl. This scales nicely, just keep the ratio of oil to lime juice at about 3:1

This quickly becomes a full on meal and dammit to hell, where can I get some Cuban bread! Sadly there is no such thing in my city by the bay, but there is a half hour to make black beans to go with my leftover rice.

In this scenario, if you have a can of beans, you’re 65% of the way there. ‘Cause all you need to make Cuban style black beans is two things:

1. Well cooked beans
2. Heavy duty sofrito-action

Of course there are variations and each different bean has it’s own slightly different prep and way of being cooked. But really, what separates Cuban style beans from the rest of y’alls beans is the sofrito. This ain’t no 59¢ Taco Bell pinto beans in a Styrofoam baby bowl with half-white, half-yella cheez on top.  This is some turbo legumes, Meng.

For the Sofrito:

1/2 Green, Red, Yellow, Orange or Weird Half Breed Green-Red-Yellow Pepper, minced.

1/2 Onion, Yellow but any type is good, minced.

2 Garlic Cloves, smashed, smooshed and minced.

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Red wine Vinegar

1 Bay Leaf (Laurel)

1/3 Beef Bouillon

1 cup Water

For the Beans:

1 Metal Can with cooked black beans inside. Drain the beans.

It’s goin down:

Add the olive oil to a medium heat pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the pepper starts to smell sweet, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and and stir for about a minute. ¡Oh my frijoles! does that smell good right now?

Add the teaspoon of red wine vinegar, stirring to reduce the vinegar with the heat for about a minute or so. Add the cumin and stir for about 30 seconds, then add the water, the bouillon and the hoja de Laurel.

Add the beans and cover, leaving slightly ajar and SIMMER for 10-15 minutes. If the beans seem too liquid, continue cooking uncovered, stirring occasionally until they cook the way you like ‘em. That’s it! You can double the entire recipe, more or less, and it will still be jammin. Be careful with the bouillionon, it is quite salty. If you’re not serving this over white rice, please, never visit this site again.

I’m not saying their Mami’s beans or anything, “pero se parecen de perfil, por lo menos“.

This 3 ingredient dish (5 if you count the optional salt and lime) is easy to make and is in the top 4 Cuban food names

Fu #1 = 4 Ripe to nearly Rotten Plátanos

Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Peel the plantains by slicing the tip and cutting a bit into the flesh, longways to the other end. Use the heel of your knife to peel. Cut the peeled bananas into 3/4″ rounds and drop in boiling water. The water should just cover. Turn down heat to low and simmer slightly UNcovered for about 15-20 minutes, depending on ripeness.

They should be mushy but still holding their shape (barely). Using a slotted spoon, remove to a fine mesh colander and drain in a bowl, saving the water that drains for thinning the fufú later.

Fu #2 = 8oz. Smoked Bacon

After you start simmering the bananas, stack the bacon and cut in half long ways. Cut across now to make 1″ squares. Don’t try and be Johnny Cuchillo and cut all the strips in one try. Bacon is greasy as a mofo. Wanna see how greasy? Dump it in a frying pan and brown over medium to low heat for 15-20 mintues, turning every few minutes. You don’t want to be smelling anything near to burning bacon. It should smell smoky and bacony.

Remove bacon to a towel lined bowl. Go ahead and burn your tongue and lips eating a few bacon squares, they are irresistible. Cold lager will heal that nicely.

Right on the stovetop, CAREFULLY pour out the rendered bacon fat into a small bowl or ramekin. Leave the bacon bits in the pan as much possible.

Fu #3 = 4 Garlic Cloves

Mince those bad boys up and cook over low – medium low heat, in 3-4 tablespoons of the bacon fat you saved.

Stir every few seconds and smell, wait, smell, now when the smell starts to go less pungent and a bit sweet, add the drained platanos.

If you cook the garlic too much (sour, acrid smell), START OVER. This dish relies heavily on perfectly cooked garlic more than anything else. But, since you are doing this over low heat (right?), you will have plenty of time to judge when the garlic is at it’s peak.

Final Fu = Mashin, Saltin and Juicin

Mash up the plantains with the garlic and bacon fat jazz-o-ma-tazz. Focus on distributing the garlic pieces throughout the platanos. Add the bacon bits and do the same. If the mix is too dry, add some plátano runoff juice. If the mix is too pasty, add some more bacon fat. If your bacon is weak, add a bit of salt, like a 1/2 teaspoon, to draw out the sweetness of the ‘nanas. Fresh squeezed lime juice always brightens the mood too.

Serve with arroz blanco and a beef dish like Palomilla.