‘Don’t use sweetened coconut flakes or the masa will become too sweet. Look for unsweetened shredded coconut in the bulk aisle at your natural foods store or in any Asian or Latin American market.’
ground masa, butter, sugar, vanilla, coconut milk
Jalapeno, habanero and Scotch bonnet are the most common types of fresh chiles found in Miami cuisine. Plenty of chipotles (smoked jalapenos sold both dry and canned) are used too, as well as the many other dried varieties available. Though most recipes call for some type of chile, the real source of heat in many Latin and Caribbean dishes is the hot sauce. Here, I have included two versions. The Chipotle-Habanero Sauce is a thinner, Latin-style sauce with a scorching finish, and the other is a chunky Caribbean-style version with a little sweetness to temper the heat.
Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground in a mortar or spice grinder (or 1 tablespoon mustard powder)
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 habanero chiles, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon red curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground mustard seeds and chopped chipotles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the remaining ingredients, bring the contents to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
If you have an immersion blender, put it directly into the saucepan and run it until you reach the desired consistency. If you want a thinner sauce, add small amounts of the reserved chipotle soaking water.
If you are using a regular blender, be sure to leave the air hole open so steam can escape. Hold a dish towel loosely over the hole while blending. Puree to the desired consistency. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
“Legume” may be the general term for beans, but this stew is a hearty mix of marinated beef and vegetables. All the ingredients can be found at any supermarket, but the combination of habanero chiles, thyme and allspice gives this dish the exotic flavor of the Caribbean. Serve it over mounds of rice or with hunks of crusty bread to mop up the spiced broth. Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.
For the Marinade:
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 habanero chile, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces
For the Stew:
• 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 habanero chiles, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (canned or made from bouillon)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 to 4 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 head of cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 1/2 cups frozen, shelled lima beans
• 2 cups frozen French cut string beans
• Chopped parsley for garnish
Marinate the meat: Combine the parsley, garlic, habanero, vinegar, oil, pepper and beef in a large bowl. Toss well, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
Make the stew: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat. Add half of the beef to the pan, season with salt and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove beef and any juices to a plate. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the rest of the beef. Add the browned beef and juices to the plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and adjust the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and habanero, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and return the beef to the pan. Add the thyme and allspice and bring the stew to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the carrots to the stew, replace the lid and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage, lima beans and string beans. Cover and continue cooking for 25 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper, as needed. Ladle into four bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Cooking brisket is not something done after coming home from work but is a great weekend cooking project. The brisket could be cooked ahead and reheated. Like most barbecue recipes it is difficult to predict how long a brisket needs to cook. It’s done when it’s done. This recipe requires advanced preparation.
Soak the brisket in one gallon of cold water mixed with one cup of white vinegar for 20 minutes. Rinse the brisket with cold water and pat dry. Brush with prepared mustard. Liberally apply the rub. Wrap the brisket in food film and refrigerate overnight. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about an hour. At the same time, soak the hickory chips in water for an hour.
Prepare the smoker or grill for indirect cooking. If you are using a kettle-style grill, start 20 briquettes in a charcoal chimney. When the coals are ash-covered, place them on one side of the charcoal grate. Place a disposable aluminum casserole or roasting pan on the opposite side. Add a handful of drained chips to the briquettes. Cover the grill. When a good smoke develops and the temperature stabilizes around 225°F, place the brisket on the cooking grate on the side opposite from the charcoal. Cover the grill and maintain a temperature of 210 to 225°F Smoke the brisket for three hours adding additional briquettes and wood chips as needed. Continue slow cooking an additional two to three hours, mopping and turning every hour.
After five to six hours of cooking, wrap the brisket in double sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, add 1/2 cup of the mop, tightly seal and return to grill for another hour or so, keeping the temperature at 225°F. (Paul Kirk, Ph.B., the Kansas City “Baron of Barbecue” and author of numerous barbecue books, calls this method the “Texas crutch” and says it steams the brisket. He doesn’t recommend foiling.)
Remove the brisket from the cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
This is my version of New Mexico’s famous red chile sauce. Mixed with shredded pork, it is used as a tamale filling, but it is also ladled over the tamales as well as enchiladas, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, stuffed sopaipillas, chiles rellenos and almost anything else you can think of. You may not need four cups of the sauce for your recipe, but you might as well make the whole batch; freeze extra portions in small resealable plastic containers.
• 24 dried red New Mexico chile pods
• 5 cups beef stock, chicken stock or water
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease, lard or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste (optional)
In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles on both sides (you’ll have to do this in batches) until they soften slightly and become aromatic. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds.
Transfer the chiles to a deep saucepan and pour over them about 4 cups water (or enough to just barely cover. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chiles to rest, about 15 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the chiles with their soaking liquid.
In the cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, melt the bacon grease. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes golden. Add the pureed chiles and stir quickly while the sauce bubbles and spatters. Reduce the heat, add the oregano and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. If the sauce is a little bitter, mellow it with the honey.
