El fricasé de puerco cubano
- 1 kg of pork cut into pieces
12 cloves of garlic
1 white onion
1 red or green pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of rosemary
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup cooking wine or white wine
3 cups of water
2 potatoes (if available)
Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Like all recipes that include pork, this is another of the specialties that we can easily prepare, pork fricassee in pure Cuban style.
Del inglés: fricassee.
As you can imagine, this word in French designates a specialty of Gallic cuisine and today we are going to discover what it means, and its adaptation to the Creole cuisine of Cuba.
Fricassee is a preparation made from sautéed and cooked meat served in a dense, white sauce. The original fricassee was once poultry, but gradually and over time it was also made from veal, lamb and even fish.
The Cubans call fricasé the preparation of dishes based on cooked meat and poultry, but for the most part in tomato sauces with very particular textures and flavors. Thus, it is very common to find all kinds of meats in Cuban cuisine; and even fish and seafood prepared in succulent tomato sauces, then called enchilado, where you can then dip a piece of bread or cooked roots like cassava or taro.
Cut the onion and pepper into pieces, and then crush the garlic, and fry them in very little oil in a medium and deep pan preferably.
When it starts to fry, add the oregano and cumin, stir well so they don't stick to the pan.
Then we add the pieces of pork, which must also be fried until they are sealed on all edges and well browned.
Then we add the salt and the diced potatoes to sauté them a little. We then add the tomato puree and stir for another minute so that it integrates well.
This is when we add the cooking wine, bay leaf, rosemary and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
The fricassee will be ready when the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened enough.
Optional:
After adding the puree, you can also add a teaspoon of soy sauce, the result is excellent and you will undoubtedly like it.
Also, if you like olives, add some. In the original recipe, we do not use olives because not everyone likes them and it is also a product that has become rarely accessible in the Cuban market. Olives, however, go wonderfully in this pork fricassee recipe.
I like to add, just at the end, a little lime or orange zest to add a citrus scent that comes at the right time.
Today we are going to eat this pork fricassee at home, simply with congrí rice and boiled cassava. A true delight.
Enjoy your meal and see you soon back in Cuba.
