Have I mentioned that I am half Panamenian?
On my mother’s side, that is; I lived in Latin America for 10 years and now go back regularly to see family, friends and eat (of course).
I actually had the luck to watch my mother and aunt prepare a true Latin American feast in partnership with a friend’s mother (Cuban roots there) only a couple of weeks ago and for once the smells of my grandmother’s kitchen were recreated in my home here in London.
Of course there was rice; white steamed rice that could have been cooked in half water and half coconut milk, but we went for the simpler option.
Then “moros”; fabulously stewed black beans that can be eaten as a side dish, a main or even on their own as a soup if you leave enough liquid in them. See the recipe below.
And lastly the piece of resistance, “Ropa Vieja” which litterally means “Old clothes” and, granted, not particularly appetising. But wait. This is feather steak simmered in herbs, tomato sauce and stock for 3 hours and the end result is a flavoursome stew that doesn’t even call for the use of a knife.
A portion of this feast on a cold winter night is enough to make you feel better about the frozen plumbing and the drizzly rain that, despite it not being a hurricane, has somehow managed to get you all soaked on the short walk from the car/bus stop/tube station to your froont door.
Of course one can also look for cheap flights to the Caribbean instead.
For the beans (serves about 6 as a side, 4 as the main)
Olive oil
1 big onion finely chopped
1 green pepper finely chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
½ cup passata
2 cups cooked black beans (you can use tinned ones if feeling lazy)
1 tsp thyme
2 tsps oregano
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cup of vegetable stock
½ cup of sherry
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add the onion and pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the passata, beans and herbs and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Stir in the stock and sherry and season well with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and finish simmering for about 20 minutes.
And for the meat (serves 6)
1.5 kg feather steak
1 ½ tins chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
2 big onions finely chopped
1 green pepper, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
1 yellow pepper, julienned
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 carrots finely chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
300 gr pitted green olives
Olive oil
Sautee in a little olive oil 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, the carrots, the celery, the oregano, cumin and bay leaf in a large sauce pan over a medium heat.
Add the meat, brown, add salt to taste, cover with water and let it simmer for about 2-3 hours – or until it’s so tender it can be pulled apart just with the use of a fork.
Once the meat is cooked, take it out of the saucepan (do not throw away the stock!) and set aside.
Sautee the 3 peppers and remaining onion and garlic in a large frying pan for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and paste and 2 tbsp of the beef stock (feel free to add more if it’s looking a bit dry: it’s supposed to be “soupy”) and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
In the meanwhile rip off the meat into thin strips and then add to the sauce with the olives and finish off by simmering for another 20 minutes.
Serve both with white rice AND if you are feeling fancy cook the rice in the leftover beef stock rather than in plain water.
