Chuletas de Puerco Cubanas (Cuban Pork Chops)

In my house we really have no name for this dish it's simply "Chuletas de Puerco" which means "Pork Chops" which can be prepared a number of ways but we usually make it the Cuban way or more exactly my grandmas way. These are seasoned with cumin, salt, garlic, and freshly squeezed lime juice then pan-fried in olive oil and in the drippings we sautee tons of onions until cooked to eat on the side or over the chops this is called "Encebollado" which means in onions, smothered in onions or with onions.

In my household we almost always sautee a bunch of onions after pan-frying or cooking meats by browning and cooking until done in a pan, we will always sautee onions in the drippings, I guess we are just onion lovers.

Ingredients:
-4 pork chops (or more depends how many your feeding and peoples appetite)
-4-5 cloves of garlic, mashed to a paste with a mortar or in a garlic press (it's about 1 clove or 2 per chop)
-juice of 1-2 limes or 1 1/2 limes
-1 teaspoon of ground cumin (more to taste or less cuban food is heavy on cumin)
-salt to taste 1-2 teaspoons of salt
-extra-virgin olive oil to pan-fry
-1 1/2 really large onions or 3 medium ones or 4 small ones julienned (optional)
-juice of 1 more lime (for onions)

Directions:
(1)Rub meat with mashed garlic, salt, cumin, and lime juice (I simply mash everything in the mortar add lime there then mix well and rub all over meat, my grandma just rubs everything on individually in no particular order)
(2)Heat oil on medium high in a large pan, when oil is hot enough (you can test it with a wooden spoon if it bubbles around it it's ready) now add pork chops and cook on each side 10-15 minutes until browned so a total of 20-30. Some of the garlic will kinda burn but that is okay for this dish.
(3)Now set aside, in pan if you have to much oil you may pour some out if not well now add your onions, salt them well, sautee until caramelized and has no raw taste and picking up drippings, deglaze with lime juice while sauteeing.
(4)Turn of heat and place chops over the onions, or push them aside and set the chops next to them.
(5)To serve, simply put onions next or over chops on your plate. Serve with a nice raw salad or fried plantains and rice with beans or just rice.

Platano A Puñetazos o Tostones(Twice Fried Green Plantain)

"Platano a Puñetazos" can also be called "Tostones" (I guess I'll just refer to them as Tostones because it's a short way of saying it) these are twice fried green plantains thick chips. First fry makes it firm yet soft inside enough to flatten to a semi-thick disk, then second fry crisps it nicely yet maintains great inside texture.

These are very popular in my household whenever we buy green plantains we make 3 things either "Platanos a Puñetazos", "Mariquitas" (thin plantain chips) or "Fufu de Platano Verde" (green plantain mashed with garlic and pork rind) yeah I know the first two sound kind of rude "Puñetazos" is like a punch in the face, "Mariquitas" means little gays or little gay people/ little homosexuals but it's what we call the plantain chips, and "Fufu" well it sounds like something stinky but it's not haha. I'll show everyone in my blog later on eventually all the green plantain dishes I mentioned.

Also LASTLY some cooks like to use a "Tostonera" which is what presses them for the second fry, a "Tostonera" is not necessary to make good "Tostones" I'll show you how to make really good one's without using, the old fashioned way, the way my grandmother taught me, my grandma say's "Que tostonera ni que nada chico yo ago todo a lo gallego" which in english would be "What!? "Tostenera" who needs that boy, I do everything the old fashioned in your face way"... I saw some lady on TV use a hammer I was like, "Que coño eso boba, eres una cocinera de la tele y no sabes acerlo mas facil?"

Also for those who can understand Spanish when she say's "a lo Gallego" it doesn't mean "like a Galician" you see here is a piece of history there was a time in Cuba when so many Galicians immigrated to Cuba that everyone was labeled as "Galician" it was used to refer to ANY Spaniard immigrant to Cuba or even Cubans born of Spaniard parents or from Spaniard families, and even though this may not sound nice the expression "a lo gallego" means "a lo bruto" which means "like a brute" it may not be nice but it's the way the term got used. It's not a bad thing though don't take it to heart Im just explaining some cultural history stuff from a primary source "my grandmother" haha, you'll also hear some say "Cuando se me suba lo gallego" which means "When the Galician in me rises" which is used to express something like "When my blood boils over" like getting really angry and furious. Woooo enough of that I went way off subject here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
-Green Plantains
-Oil to pan-fry or deep-fry
-salt to taste

Directions:
(1)Peel Green Plantains, carefully, you can break it since it's so stuck to the peel, simply cut off edges with a knife, then make a straight cut not deep just enough to cut the peel downward, gently pull the peel off, you want it to stay almost in tact both the peel and the plantain (you'll see why you'll need the peel later to use as your own "Tostonera")
(2)Cut plantains into inch thick rounds.

(3)Heat oil on medium high heat, to check if it's hot dip a wooden spoon and if it bubbles around it's ready, now add the plantain slices one by one in one layer, and fry on both sides until they turn yellow and some lightly brown, use your judgement I didn't use a timer or looked at the minutes
(4)Quickly take out of oil, drain them well, WORK QUICK OR THEY WILL HARDEN, put your piece of plantain flat on the peel, then cover with another peel and press down to flatten down.


(5)Now heat oil back to medium high, quickly in a bowl, add some water to the tostones flattened and swish, now drain well, pat dry a bit THIS WILL MAKE THEM REALLY CRISP IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN "okay" Tostone and a "great" Tostone. Be careful though do remember to drain the water well and pat a pit you don't want the oil to jump and burn your pretty face or set your house on fire. Do that for every small batch you make right before frying.(6)Now add the Tostones back in the hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown, quickly take out put on paper towels to drain and salt them while they are HOT.
P.S.

"Tostones" are also made by other cultures, Puerto Ricans, Haitians, West Africans, Dominicans and maybe other Carribean cuisines make them.

SUPER DUPER IMPORTANT DO NOT TRY TO MAKE THESE IN ADVANCE YOU HAVE TO EAT THEM JUST MADE HOT OR UNTIL SLIGHTLY COOLED, BEFORE THEY COOL COMPLETELY BECAUSE THEY TURN HARD LIKE A ROCK LATER AND LOSE THEIR GOODNESS.

Also this seems like a big dietary evil sin but if you do happen to have leftover "Tostones" the way to reheat them like new... is... are you ready... to deep fry them again to re-heat so they taste good and fresh. So I guess those leftovers would be 3 times fried heck I've had "Tostones" that where fried 4 times each time to be re-heated because we had so many in the house.

Pollo Al Mojo de Ajo (Cuban Garlic Chicken)

Pollo Al Mojo de Ajo is a very popular Cuban dish, especially in Cuban restaurants. It is a garlic citrus flavored roast chicken. In my house it is simply strongly flavored with garlic, lime, salt, and olive oil. Trust me that is it nothing more nothing less, but I guarantee you it is extremely flavorful yet one of the most simple dishes to make. Of course you can easily substitute the "fresh lime juice" for "Seville Oranges" also called "Bitter Oranges" and in Spanish "Naranja Agria" but it is very hard for me to get bitter oranges here I only have one friend who grows it in her yard but she and her family are a long drive away.

Also in my house we also make the "Lechon" roasted big, which is a huge deal to Cubans it is the favorite dish, which is usually made at party's they can make it in a machine called "La Caja China" (Chinese box) or it is buried in a pit enclosed in banana leaves covered with something and cooked slowly with fire (I'm not sure exactly how the buried version is.) this is usually made for large gatherings...

But in the house for just a small amount of people usually a 4-6 pound Pork Butt/ Pork Shoulder or roast is roasted in the oven seasoned the same way as the chicken, and again with the pork it is BEST to use "Naranja Agria" bitter orange, sometimes she will add a little "oregano" to it or "oregano", "pepper", and "cumin" in addition to the salt, but those are not necessary.

Ingredients:
-3-4 pounds whole chicken
-1 large garlic head (about 12 cloves) if using a smaller head use 2 heads of garlic (I used 2 heads which was about 14 small cloves it tastes so good)
-Juice of 4 limes or more up to 6 depends
-1-2 heaping teaspoons salt
-2 -3 tablespoon or 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
(1)Mash garlic to a paste in a mortar with a pestle along with salt or use a garlic press, you have to have the garlic really mashed.
(2)Add freshly squeezed lime juice, salt, and whisk in olive oil with a fork, set aside.
(3)Cut chicken in segments, or in half, or simply leave whole (I simply cut it in half). Rinse the chicken several times, clean well, remove any small feathers it may have, the insides and clean insides really well and scrub of blood.
(4)Now stab the chicken making small piercing stab some small slits all over, make space in between the meat and skin. Smother the chicken with the garlic lime mixture and rub some inside, spoon liquids into the skin.
(5)Put in a zip lock bag, shake well, take all air out and seal well, now put in a bowl and let it marinade in the refrigerater for about 24 hours which is best but if you are more in hurry than marinade for about 12 hours at minimum.
(6)Preheat oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius (for my readers outside USA). Put chicken in a oven pan, with all marinade juices, put in oven and bake for about 50-70 minutes spoon over it's juices every 20 minutes until your ready to take out.
(7)Serve with some fluffy rice and spoon some of the juices over, with a side of maybe some black beans and fried sweet plantains or "Tostones" (twice fried green thick green plantain chips I'll show you guys how to make those some other time)