Patacones
These are fried slices of plantain ... unripe ones ... served in bars, restaurants & our house~
Bolita Beans, Roy & Kathleen style
Tamales (Mexican-style, almost)
- 2 green plantains (if you use the ripe, yellow ones, they will be too sweet)
- Salt to taste
- vegetable oil (don't use olive oil, as it has too low a smoke point)
- Peal the plantains and cut into circular slices (about 1 inch thick)
- Pour 1/2 inch oil into heavy frying pan & heat until very hot. To know if it is hot enough, drop a water droplet into the oil; it should vaporize immediately.
- Fry plantain slices until they are golden
- Place on a cutting board and gently flatten with a rolling pin or the bottom of a bottle or glass until they are fairly thin, but still hold together
- Return patties to oil and refry until they are crisp and golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt ...
Serve hot with refried beans (We like black bean puree), queso fresca, pico de gallo or whatever sorts of toppings you like.
Bolita Beans, Roy & Kathleen style
- Bolita Beans (I think the package was between 500g & 700g
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tabasco
- Smoked Pork Chops or Ham
Prepare beans the way you would any other ... wash, clean, sort and soak overnight.
Put 'em in a pot on the stove and cook the hell out of 'em with a whole (not cut up) onion & some garlic ... however much you like, we like lots. When the beans are nearly done (this can take quite a while, like hours and hours), add the salt, pepper and a few drops of Tabasco or similar product and the chops. We didn't make them particularly spicy, but you could if you want. Cook some more, till the chops fall off the bone (or remove it before).
This would be perfect with cornbread or drop biscuits.
Tamales (Mexican-style, almost)
I am not a huge fan of Tico Tamales, but I love Tamales (as does my Texan friend, Brenda), so we decided to have a go at it. Here is, more or less, what we did.
Filling
- Take 1.5 kg Pork Loin and put it in a large pot with water, onion & garlic. Cook the hell out of it, then add some cumin and any other spice you feel like at the moment.
- Cook it some more, till the water is getting pretty low.
- Scoop out the pork and de-fat and shred it, then return to pot.
- Add salsa type stuff to your taste (we used verde salsas) and cook a little bit more.
Now, Ticos add stuff like carrots, peas, rice, green olives and whatever is handy, but we stuck with more traditional Mexican filling.
Masa
- 3 cups cornmeal (best get the stuff made for Tamales)
- a little salt
- 1 cup corn oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- seasonings to taste ... a good time to add achiote if you have it
Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ones and mix with your hands. Beware, if you are using fresh chicken stock, it CAN be a little too warm.
Wrappers
Depending on where you live, you can use soaked corn husks or plantain leaves, (hojas para tamales), which is what we use here.
Construction
- Wash the leaves and cut into approximately 8"x8" squares ... doesn't matter if they are uneven.
- Spread masa on the leaves (I used my hands and made an approx. 4x6 rectangle of it, about 1/2" thick.
- Put a spoonful of your yummy pork (or chicken or beef) mixture at one end
- Tuck and roll till you have an approximate square/rectangle
- Use cotton twine to bind your packet.
Steam for around 2 hours ... depending on size and thickness, although I am not sure you can overcook these ... and enjoy! We like a dollop of natilla (sour cream) and a fat "splotch" of salsa verde on ours.
Felíz Navidad!
