Rabo Encendido Estilo Chino Cubano (Braised Oxtail Cuban-Chinese Style)

My grandma makes the dish called "Rabo Encendido" two different ways. The traditional Cuban way and the other way. The Cuban Chinese way. Today I will show you the Cuban Chinese way.

I know some of you are thinking "What the hell Chinese in Cuban cooking?" well let me give you a little history lesson here check this article on wikipedia that is about Chinese Cubans:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Cuban

Here's my brief little version that is kinda frank, Cuba recieved lots of Chinese immigration at some point in time, even today in Cuba there is a "Barrio Chino" Chinatown. So this recipe is a reflection on chinese influence on Cuban cooking because it has influenced my grandmothers because she braises the oxtail in soy sauce. Other aparrent influences sometimes in Cuban cooking is the "sweet and sour" flavors achieved by some by mixing a combination of raisin, capers, and olives in certain stewed meat dishes like "Fricasee" and some Cubans use it in "Picadillo". Also my grandmother and some Cubans I know will use "Wonton Wrappers" to stuff them with Guava paste and cheese then deep-fry YUM!

Now days thanks to the rotten good for nothing Communist dicatorship on Cuba much of Cuba's Chinese population is gone because they where smart enough to flee from tyranny there are still some Cuban Chinese restaurants in NY area. They don't fuse the cuisine but pair Chinese dishes with Cuban dishes or use Chinese cooking techniques on Cuban food. So without further explanation here is the recipe.

Serves 5 people
Ingredients:
-3 pounds oxtail (it sounds like alot but it is mostly bone also wash it well before using)
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1 small or 1/2 a large green bell pepper minced
-1 whole medium onion chopped minced
-6 cloves of garlic crushed and finely minced (mortar or pestle or garlic press)
-1/2 cup red wine or dry white wine or cooking sherry
-1 cup water
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
-2 bay leaf (optional grandma doesn't add it to this one)
-1/4 cup regular soy sauce (or more to taste)

Directions:
(1) Cut some lines to make gap between the firm outer skin because it shrinls and you don't want it to constrict the meat in a wierd way. Without any oil in a large stainless steel pot or dutch oven, heat on really high heat and sear/ brown oxtail (don't season it the soy sauce is very salty later you will use) and set aside
(2)Lower heat to medium and add extra-virgin olive oil, sautee bell pepper and onions until translucent and fragrant about 4 minutes then add garlic until garlic is golden and fragrant about 3 minutes.
(3)Now pour in 1/2 cup red wine and bring to high heat and stir and wait until it boils, now add 1 cup water and stir and wait for it to start boiling. Add cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.
(4)Now carefully arrange oxtail back into a pot. Drizzle carefully (the soy sauce) splashing little by little on each oxtail over the top. DO NOT STIR IT!. Now cover and lower heat to low and let it simmer for about 2 1/2 hours.


(6)Serve with some white rice, pour some of the cooking liquids over rice it's tasty, then serve. You can also have as side dishes some Cuban Black Bean soup on the side and a raw salad dressed in lime, olive oil and salt or instead of a raw salad some fireroasted skinned bell peppers tossed in "Mojo de Ajo"

Please Note: In my house we don't call this dish "Rabo Encendido Estilo Chino Cubano" we just call it "Cola en Salsa Soya" which translated to "Tail in Soy Sauce" even when we make the traditional cuban one we just call it "Cola de Res" which translated to "Beef tail" because everyone in the house knows when my grandmother, me or mother say's "Cola" (tail) we mean we are having either of these dishes.

Potaje de Garbanzos (Garbanzo Stew)

This is a Spaniard dish but some cubans make it to.

It's a rich heavey Chickpea stew.

When eating this you need nothing more than crusty spanish or cuban bread or plain rice to eat it. And also raw salads as side dishes (example sliced cucumber, tomatoes, onion, fire roasted bell pepper with mojo de ajo) or for a more spanish style salad (rommaine lettuce, tomatoe, raw purple onion balsamic vinegar, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, pepper and salt)

Its a time consuming stew but its the BEST STEW/ SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD AND IS WAY BETTER THAN ALL THE OTHER TYPES OF SOUP IN MY OPINION!!!!!..

Everything is kinda eyeballed and not really measured just follow ur intstincts hopefully they dont suck.

INGREDIENTS:
-1 lbs about 2 cups dried garbanzos (soaked overnight)
-1 Pound or more of either Pork Shoulder or Beef Stew Meat cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 dry Bay Leafs
-1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-Salt to taste
-Water (enough ot fill a pot)
-1/2 of chopped minced onion
-4-5 garlic cloves minced and crushed
-1/2 Bell Pepper any color minced
-1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-2 cups Calabaza (Japanese, Banana, or Butternut Squash) medium large chunks
-1 whole Napa Cabbage or other type of cabbage (optional but I think you should Nappa Cabbage is the best for this dish I love it but had none so I used regular cabbage)
-2 large Potatoes or 4 medium or 6 small cut in halfs a few only
-2 Spanish Chorizo NOT MEXICAN CHORIZO! (its a dry cured sausage if you cant find it use a hotlink sausage buit it'll be spicy and will not taste as great)
-Saffron threads a few to make yellow or Annatto seed powder, Achiote seed powder, or Bijol (any of the ones mentioned will work to make it yellow)

DIRECTIONS
(1) Soak chickpeas overnight with lots of water and salt. Next day drain and wash 2-3 times.

(2) Bring to a boil add meat cleaned and chopped with salt. Scoop all the scum that floats to top (the brown).

(3) Add 2 bay leafs, oregano, salt to taste. Boil making sure that you have everything submerged about 2 inches for about 40 minutes covered on low heat until chickpeas are tender. Meanwhile chop up everything, prep everything and have all ingredients on hand.
(4) Then when chickpeas are tender together with meat, heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add chorizo slices (with casing removed) and let it render some of it's grease and infuse the oil with it's flavor, now add bell peppers, onions, and garlic finely minced and sautee like 5-7 minutes.

(5) Dump it all into your stew, stir, add cumin, add "bijol" until yellow or saffron. Add potatoes, squash and boil covered for about 15 minutes. Then add Cabbage cut into large segments. If using Napa, just wash it well, and cut into 4 parts like making sure you keep individual leaves in tact, like just long and cut into 4 parts long wise (I don't know how to explain it).Simmer cabbage for 5 minutes and make sure to check if it needs more salt.

Frijoles de la Olla (Mexican Basic Pinto Beans)

Among Mexicans simply called "Frijoles" or "Frijoles Pintos" and they already think of this dish. I am gonna show you the most basic form of preparing them, the way you will find them at any Mexican household if you where to visit.

My mom likes these, we usually don't eat them as often (because we usaully prefer the Cuban black bean stew) but when eating Mexican food this is the best to choose, especially for refried beans.

Ingredients:

-3 1/2 cups Pinto Beans

-1/2 onion whole

-2 cloves garlic whole just peeled or unpeeled up to you

-About 13-14 cups water (THese arent meant to be thick)

-salt ot taste

Directions:

-Rinse and clean beans, get rid of any ugly ones.

-Now add water, with 1/2 onion and garlic.

-Bring to a boil, cover on low and simmer about 1 hour to 2 hour (depends on your beans mine are done in 1 hour)

-Now that they are done add salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons I added) stir and you done. EASY I KNOW!

NOW you didn't think I'd eat em just like that (though they are still good) but I want a more flavorful kick. So this is what I do in addition to the standard way of makin em.

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons lard or bacon grease (DO NOT DARE USE ANYTHING ELSE!)

-1 large Jalapeño pepper minced or 2 small ones or even better 1 or 2 chile serrano minced

Directions:

(1)Now that your beans are done, heat lard or bacon grease in a pan on medium.

(2)When oil is hot enough add minced chilies, sautee about 5-7 minutes until seeds are goldish DO NOT BURN EM.(3)Now add this to cooked pinto beans and boil together 5-10 minutes.

OMG THEY TASTE WONDERFUL LIKE THIS, you can also sautee other types chilies particualrily the dried Mexican chilies like "Guajillo", "Negro", or "de Arbol" just remove seeds and hard stems from the large dry types and sautee in oil and add in beans to rehydrate. Or when starting to cook beans add a whole "Chile Guajillo" for a different taste,

ALSO PLEASE NOTE:

To refry beans just heat lard or bacon grease, sautee 1/2 minced onion until translucent, scoop in some Pinto beans without that much of it's liquid (just mostly beans) bring to a boil and start mashing and stiring until thickend.

Refried beans is like a savory bean mash or paste. You can also add minced chilies, or dry chili peppers when refrying if you didnt do it when you boiled them.

You may check my post for making them:

http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2008/12/frijoles-pintos-fritos-refried-pinto.html