Special Event
Global Cuisine Cooking Lessons: Ropa Vieja with El Cochinito
July 19, 2022 | 5:00PM - 6:00PM
El Cochinito is a family-owned business that has been serving authentic Cuban food in Silver Lake since 1988. Join the Fowler and third-generation owner Daniel Navarro to learn how to make the Cuban national dish ropa vieja with shredded beef, chicken, or pork; white rice and black beans; and crispy plantain tostones with garlic sauce. Come with supplies prepared and ready to cook!
El Cochinito – Ropa Vieja with crispy tostones and garlic sauce
Equipment Needed:
Stove
Large stock pot 8qt
medium dutch oven dish 6 qt
medium pot 3 qt
slotted spoon or medium skimmer
kitchen towel
paper towel
Rice cooker or 3 qt pot and lid –
measuring cup
strainer
measuring spoon
food processor OR mortar and pestle
Ropa Vieja Ingredients (serves 4-6 people)
2lb Flank Steak (substitute: chicken breast or pork butt)
1 Spanish Onion (yellow onion)
1 green bell pepper
2 large tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
16 oz tomato sauce
32 oz chicken stock
2 bay leaf
4 TB ground cumin
1 TB ground dry oregano
1 C olive oil
Tostones Ingredients:
2 green plantains
1 qt vegetable oil
Garlic Sauce Ingredients:
2 heads peeled garlic cloves
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C white vinegar
1/4 C lime juice
White Rice Ingredients:
2 C long grain white rice
2 TB olive oil
TO PREPARE IN ADVANCE:
1) Shredded Meat (2-2.5 hours)
– PUT MEAT IN STOCK POT AND FILL WITH WATER TO COVER MEAT (IF USING FLANK STEAK, CUT ACROSS THE GRAIN INTO 3 INCH PIECES BEFORE PUTTING INTO POT)
– BRING WATER TO SIMMER FOR 90 MIN
– LET COOL 30 MIN
– THEN SHRED BY HAND
– REFRIGERATE UNTIL CLASS
2) Black Beans (2.5 hours)
Chef recommends the dish with black beans and encourages you to make black beans in advance and reheat if refrigerated.
Equipment Needed:
Lage 8 qt pot
cutting board
chef knife
mortar and pestle
wooden spoon
Black Beans Ingredients:
4C dry black beans
6 QT water
1/2 Spanish onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 C Vegetable Oil
1 C Spanish Onion medium. dice
1 C green bell pepper, medium dice
½ C Garlic, minced
4 bay leaf
4 TB ground cumin
1 TSP black pepper
4 TBSP salt
4 TBSP golden cooking wine
4 TBSP olive oil
4 TBSP raw sugar
2-4 TBSP salt
Instructions:
RINSE YOUR BEANS AND ADD THEM TO A LARGE POT WITH THE WATER. ADD A PEELED SPANISH ONION AND A CLEANED GREEN BELL PEPPER. BRING POT TO A BOIL.
IN A SMALL SAUCE POT, ADD THE NEXT SECTION OF INGREDIENTS AND BRING TO A SIMMER. COOK SLOWLY AND STIR WITH A WOODEN SPOON. ONCE THE ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT ADD EVERYTHING TO THE POT OF BEANS. KEEP THE BEANS AT A SIMMER UNTIL TENDER. AND CHECK FOR SEASONING.
Global Cuisine Cooking Lessons
Variety is the spice of life. Learn how LA’s favorite international restaurants cook up their most famous, easy-to-make dishes in live cooking classes led by their chefs on Zoom. When food is your love language, some secrets are too good not to share.
Image credit: Courtesy El Cochinito.
