Sofrito & Roja Viejo

[Allison]

This is from Daisy Martinez's cookbook, and is DELICIOUS. I'm going to post the sofrito as one post and then the Roja Viejo as another.

eta: I totally spelled it wrong, lol. Oh well. You get it.

[Allison]

Sofrito


There is no other recipe I could have chosen to open with. This is the one indispensable, universal, un-live-withoutable recipe. Having said that, it is incredibly easy to make with ingredients you can find at the supermarket. And if you can't find all the ingredients I list below see the note that follows for a very simple fix. What sofrito does is add freshness, herbal notes and zing to dishes -- you can do that with the onion, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro and tomato alone.

In my house, sofrito makes its way into everything from yellow rice, black bean soup, sauce for spaghetti and meatballs to braised chicken and sautéed shrimp. Not only that, it freezes beautifully, so in about In 10 minutes you can make enough sofrito to flavor a dozen dishes. I'm telling you, this stuff does everything but make the beds. Try out your first batch of sofrtio in the recipes you'll find throughout this site, or add sofrito to some of your own favorite dishes that could use a little boost. You will change the way you cook. I guarantee it.

Makes about 4 cups.
If you can't find ajices dulces or culantro, don't sweat. Up the amount of cilantro to 1 ½ bunches.
2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks
3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers
16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed
7 to 10 ajices dulces (see note below), optional
4 leaves of culantro (see note below), or another handful cilantro
3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks


Chop the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully. Freeze sofrito in ½ cup batches in sealable plastic bags. They come in extremely handy in a pinch. You can even add sofrito straight from the freezer to the pan in any recipe that calls for it in this book.

Pantry Notes: Ajices Dulces, also known as cachucha or ajicitos are tiny sweet peppers with a hint of heat. They range in color from light to medium green and yellow to red and orange. They add freshness and an herby note to the sofrito and anything you cook. Do not mistake them for Scotch bonnet or Habanero chilies (which they look like)--those two pack a wallop when it comes to heat. If you can find ajicitos in your market, add them to sofrito. If not, up the cilantro and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Culantro is not cilantro. It has long leaves with tapered tips and serrated edges. When it comes to flavor, culantro is like cilantro times ten. It is a nice, not essential addition to sofrito. (See Sources for both the above.)

[Lisa]

Is this what I have to promise to try?

[Allison]

Ropa Vieja “Old Clothes"

This dish gets its name from the shredded texture of the beef, which resembles clothes so worn they’re falling apart. If you’re Cuban, please don’t come after me for using chuck steak instead of the more traditional flank steak. Both are delicious, but I prefer the texture of the shredded chuck to that of the flank. Other than that, this is a traditional version of a Cuban standard, and it tastes even better the next day.
Serve with white rice, little boiled potatoes, or twice-fried green plantain chips.

Makes 6 servings.


One 2 ¼ - 2 ½ lb. chuck roast
Fine sea or kosher salt
Freshley ground pepper
Onion powder
3 Tbsp canola oil
½ c Sofrito
½ tsp ground cumin
Olive oil, as needed
Two 8oz cans Spanish style tomato sauce
1 ½ c water
2 bay leaves
4 celery stalks, ¼ inch dice
3 medium carrots, ¼ inch dice
1 c fresh or frozen green peas


Pound the chuck roast with a meat mallet until about ½ inch thick. Season both sides of the beef generously with salt, pepper and onion powder.

Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat until rippling. Add the beef and cook it until well browned on both sides (about 10 min).

Preheat oven to 350. Drain or spoon off most of the fat. Stir in sofrito, 2 tsp salt and the cumin – bring to a boil. Depending on how much oil was left in the pan, you may have to add a little bit of olive oil to give the mixture a creamy texture. Stir in tomato sauce, water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover, and put in the oven. Bake until meat pulls apart easily with a fork (2-2 ½ hours). Let stand in the sauce until cool enough to handle.

Shred meat coarsely using two forks, or hands. Return to sauce, add the celery and carrots. Bring to a simmer over low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender (about 10 mins). Stir in the peas and cook for a few minutes more. You may want to add more water, or some broth, if the sauce looks too thick.

[Allison]

Is this what I have to promise to try?


Yes, it's really good.

I forgot the banana peppers (cubanelle) for the sofrito, on accident, it was still delicious. I'm going to start using it in a lot of stuff.

I bet it'd be good with meat in a crockpot.

[Lisa]

*adds to the TRY! folder*

[Rebecca]

O.M.G. Those look sooooo good. /faints from hunger

[Allison]

It WAS good. I had it for dinner, then breakfast, then lunch. :D

It was super easy, too. The sofrito was a little messy - but only b/c I don't have a real food processor, and tried to use the little attachment to my blender - which ended up spitting tomato/cilantro juice all over the place.

:nono:

[Rebecca]

I'm so freaking hungry.

And Tim won't be here with dinner for another 90 min. :cry: /total tj

[Lisa]

Ok.

I am trying this tomorrow. (meat is thawing)

I am using the flank steak that she said could be used.

So, just shred and put over potatoes?

[Dar]

Mmmm... Cuban food. :eat: :eat:

[Allison]

Ok.

I am trying this tomorrow. (meat is thawing)

I am using the flank steak that she said could be used.

So, just shred and put over potatoes?


I eat it over rice....

[Lisa]

Ok.

Rice.

I will do both I think, because someone doesn't care for rice.

[Lisa]

Sofrito looks like hell and smells like heaven.

[Allison]

Sofrito looks like hell and smells like heaven.

LMAO! Very true.

Make sure and freeze it in individual portions... I use it all the time on fish, chicken, just whatever.

[Lisa]

I already did. :D

I am also cheating. I just browned the meat, made the sauce to cook it in, and threw it all in the crock pot.

[Lisa]

And it smells heavenly.

[Allison]

It'll be fine. And delicious.

[Lisa]

Seeing as how I am supposed to be off my feet, I thought it would be easiest. :D

[Crystal]

I can't wait to make this. My hubby's half Cuban, so I'm always looking for Cuban recipes. One day I hope to score the "just like Mom made" compliment!

[Alli]

Ya know, you can buy Sofrito. It's in the freezer section :right:. We use in Empanadas.

[Allison]

Don't tell me that, Alie. :nono: *remembers the mess of making it in a blender*

[Alli]

LMAO Sorry, but it's true.

[Lisa]

Holy Moley!!!

That stuff is goooooooood.

Like I said, I cheated. I browned the meat, and threw it in the crock pot.

I also didn't add celery, carrots, or peas. Served it over potatoes.

Cliff LOVED it, cleaned his plate.

And then said I could put it on the keeper list. :D

[Tina]

Sofrito sounds like something I would LOVE. Damn, why did I read this after going to the grocery store? :laugh:

[Rebecca]

And it smells heavenly.
:word: :eat: :swoon: :can't wait:

[Rebecca]

O.M.Geee!!!!!

That was good./understatement

I'm not sure when I've seen David so excited for a meal. I gave him a bite of the meat when I was shredding it and he was bouncing from then until dinner. :laugh:

Everyone liked it. /a miracle :laugh:

[Allison]

That makes me happy. :)

[Rebecca]

We were talking about you at dinner. Everyone says thank you. :laugh: :love:

[Mrs Sarah]

You're making me even more excited to try this next week!

[Rebecca]

I'm thinking about making this for dinner for my dad, only I know he hates cooked carrots and peas. :laugh: Do you think I could sub red peppers and onion? Would that be weird?

[Allison]

I'm sure.... it just wouldn't be as "one dish meal"-ish, so you might want to add a veg on the side.

Could someone PLEASE edit the title, and fix my typo? It's been wrong for years now! lol.

[Rebecca]

Ok, thanks. :D

...and I can't help you with the typo. Sorry. :laugh:

[Lizz]

What's wrong with it?

[Rebecca]

I think it's actually Ropa Vieja...

[Allison]

I think it's actually Ropa Vieja...

:yes:

[Rebecca]

Do you think cilantro lime rice would be wrong with this recipe? :laugh: I kind of think yes, but I can't remember what the flavors of this is exactly...

[Rebecca]

In case you are wondering, these don't make good tacos. At all. Gross. /Big Fat LIAR

[Rebecca]

I just made this again. :laugh: My family LOVES it. I made a double batch. :laugh: We had it over potatoes tonight and are having it in tacos tomorrow. :eat: