Delicious on fried plantains, chicken, fish, tomatoes — so many ways to use this herby Cuban sauce, and so many ways to make it!
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Ingredients
Base
- 12 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lime juice FRESH!
- 1/3 cup orange juice FRESH!
- 1 tsp toasted cumin, ground
- 1 tsp ground pepper
Marinade
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Tostones Dip
- 1/4 C cilantro
Ingredients
Base
Marinade
Tostones Dip
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Instructions
Marinade
- This is a great marinade for chicken or pork. (I suspect it would be lovely on fish, seitan or tofu as well.) Oregano holds up to cooking better than cilantro, but if you don't have fresh oregano, use 1tsp dried plus some fresh cilantro. Simply blend all ingredients together and pour over the meat in a bag. Marinate for 2-4 hours, then cook as desired.
- There is no salt in this recipe, so you can choose when and how to salt the meat. My preference is to dry-brine overnight with salt to taste (about 1tsp per pound of meat). Alternatively add salt to the marinade in about the same proportions, then dress with finishing salt to taste before serving.
- There are lots of options for how to cook your marinated meat -- it depends primarily on the cut of meat -- but my favorite is to use a sous vide. Drop the bag into your water bath as soon as the marinade is poured over. Look up the safe range and time for your meat, and cook at the lowest safe temp. If you don't have enough time to finish it, that's ok -- you're going to finish on the grill or in the oven. Your meat should be barely cooked, so your goal is to get good caramelization during the final roasting or grilling period without overdoing the middle. This is hands down the best cooking technique for meat I have ever encountered. The marinade really penetrates, the meat is done but moist, and you can get a strong sear on it in the final cooking. It does take a little practice to find the right times and temperatures for your tastes though.
Tostones dip
- To make a creamy dip suitable for tostones, or simply to spoon over rice, beans, or meat, the technique is a little different. You start with roasted garlic cloves, which provide a bit of emulsion to the final product. Fresh cilantro is essential, and replaces most or all of the fresh oregano.
- Cover your garlic cloves with enough olive oil to cover. I like to make a larger batch, because roasted garlic is delicious in Italian food, Cuban food, or just smeared on fresh bread, but you can also put them in a tiny mason jar inside a pan (for easy handling) if you only want to roast a small quantity. Place them in the oven (you can put them in while something savory cooks) and roast 30ish minutes at 300-400 degrees. When the oil begins bubbling watch them for browning and pull out when they're barely beige.
- Mash cloves slightly in immersion blender cup, then add citrus juices and blend. Pour in oil a little at a time, blending to make an emulsion (similar to making mayo, but it will be thinner.) Stir in chopped fresh herbs, cumin if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.
- This dipping sauce really requires fresh herbs. Feel free to add some fresh oregano, parsley or thyme to the cilantro, for a less traditional but still delicious green sauce. If you have a little porch space, I strongly recommend growing your own oregano and thyme. During blooming season, the flowers are delicious. (That's the purple in my pictures.)
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