Puerto Rico: Just the Recipes

 Puerto Rico: Plantains and Protest


Mofongo: The Pounded Cry of the Taino

Mofongo

Ingredients (4 servings):

  • 3 green plantains, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 tbsp olive oil (or lard)

  • ½ cup pork cracklings (chicharrón) or crispy bacon bits

  • 1 cup chicken broth, hot

  • Salt, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Fry plantain chunks in oil at 350°F until golden and cooked through (8–10 min).

  2. In a mortar & pestle (pilón), mash garlic with olive oil and salt into a paste.

  3. Add fried plantains and mash with garlic paste. Work in chicharrón.

  4. Shape into a ball or mound. Moisten with chicken broth for softness.

  5. Serve with broth, shrimp, or pernil on the side.

Simple Salsa Criolla for Mofongo

Ingredients (about 2 cups):

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • ½ onion, sliced thin

  • ½ green bell pepper, sliced thin

  • ½ red bell pepper, sliced thin

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 2 tbsp sofrito (optional but authentic)

  • ½ cup tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)

  • ½ cup chicken broth (or seafood stock if serving with shrimp/fish)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Salt & pepper, to taste

  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

  2. Add onion and peppers. Sauté until softened (5–7 minutes).

  3. Stir in garlic, oregano, and sofrito. Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

  4. Add tomato sauce, broth, and bay leaf. Stir and bring to a simmer.

  5. Let it cook gently for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.

  6. Season with salt, pepper, and finish with fresh cilantro.

Sofrito Recipe (Puerto Rican Base)

Ingredients (makes about 2 cups, can be frozen):

  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 1 bunch culantro (recao), chopped (if available, ~½ cup)

  • 2 ají dulce peppers (or ½ red bell pepper if unavailable)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • Salt, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

  2. Pulse until a smooth but slightly chunky paste forms.

  3. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge up to 1 week, or freeze in ice cube trays for long-term use.

  4. Use 2–3 tbsp as the flavor base for rice, stews, beans, and meats.

Arroz con Gandules: Rice of the Rebel

Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups medium-grain rice, rinsed

  • 3 tbsp sofrito

  • 1 can (15 oz) gandules (pigeon peas), drained

  • ½ cup tomato sauce

  • ¼ cup diced ham or salted pork (optional)

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth (or water + bouillon)

  • 1 packet sazón with achiote

  • 2 tsp adobo seasoning

  • 2 tbsp green olives with pimento

  • Salt & pepper

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a caldero or heavy pot. Sauté sofrito, ham, and tomato sauce until fragrant.

  2. Add sazón, adobo, olives, and gandules. Stir well.

  3. Add rice, coating grains in the mixture.

  4. Pour in broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat.

  5. Simmer covered 20–25 min until rice is tender. Fluff with fork.

Chicharrones: The Crispy Crackle of Defiance

Pork Cracklings (Chicharrón) Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pork belly (skin on, cut into 1-inch cubes)

  • 1 tbsp adobo seasoning (or salt, pepper, garlic powder mix)

  • 1 tsp baking soda (helps skin crisp)

  • Oil, for frying

Instructions:

  1. Season pork belly with adobo (or salt, pepper, garlic powder). Rub baking soda lightly onto skin.

  2. Heat oil in a deep pan to 350°F.

  3. Fry pork belly pieces in batches until skin puffs and turns golden, about 10–12 minutes.

  4. Drain on paper towels. Use chopped into mofongo or as garnish.

Pastelillos: Pockets of Puerto Rican Defiance


Puerto Rican Pastelillos (Empanadillas)

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack frozen empanada discos (Goya brand works)

  • 1 lb ground beef

  • 3 tbsp sofrito

  • ½ cup tomato sauce

  • 1 packet sazón

  • 1 tsp adobo seasoning

  • 2 tbsp green olives, chopped

  • Oil for frying

Instructions:

  1. Cook ground beef with sofrito, sazón, and adobo until browned.

  2. Add tomato sauce & olives. Simmer until thickened. Cool filling.

  3. Place spoonful of meat in each disco. Fold & seal with fork.

  4. Fry in oil at 350°F until golden. Drain & serve.

Bacalaitos: Fritters of Survival in the Shadow of Bootstrap


Bacalaitos (Salt Cod Fritters)

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb salted codfish, soaked overnight & flaked

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 packet sazón with achiote

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

  • ½ tsp oregano

  • ¾ cup water (adjust for batter consistency)

  • Oil for frying

Instructions:

  1. Mix flour, baking powder, sazón, garlic, cilantro, and oregano.

  2. Stir in water to make a loose batter. Fold in codfish.

  3. Heat oil. Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil, flattening slightly.

Fry until crisp & golden.

Jibarito: The Defiant Sandwich of the Young Lords



Jibarito (Chicago-Puerto Rican Plantain Sandwich)

Ingredients:

  • 2 green plantains, peeled & cut lengthwise

  • 1 lb steak (skirt or ribeye), thinly sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp adobo seasoning

  • 4 slices cheese (Swiss or provolone)

  • 1 tomato, sliced

  • 1 cup shredded lettuce

  • 2 tbsp mayo (or garlic aioli)

  • Oil for frying

Instructions:

  1. Flatten plantain halves with a plate or press. Fry until golden, drain, flatten again, then fry until crisp. These are the “bread.”

  2. Season steak with garlic & adobo. Sear until cooked through.

  3. Assemble: plantain “bread,” mayo, steak, cheese, tomato, lettuce, plantain top.

  4. Serve hot & crunchy.

Pollo Guisado: The Simmering Spirit of Verano Boricua




Pollo Guisado (Puerto Rican Stewed Chicken)

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs chicken thighs/drumsticks

  • 3 tbsp sofrito

  • 1 packet sazón with achiote

  • 2 tbsp adobo seasoning

  • 1 bell pepper, sliced

  • ½ onion, sliced

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 2 potatoes, cubed

  • 1 carrot, sliced

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • Salt & pepper

Instructions:

  1. Season chicken with adobo & sazón. Brown in oil.

  2. Add sofrito, peppers, onion, tomato paste. Cook until fragrant.

  3. Stir in potatoes, carrots, and broth.

  4. Simmer covered 35–45 min until chicken is tender & sauce thickens.

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