Cuban Style Pork Rice Recipes

CUBAN SPICED PORK TENDERLOIN AND SOFFRITO RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat medium pot with tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Add oil and bacon and brown bacon. Add onions and peppers and saute 5 minutes. Bring broth to a boil. Add rice. Cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 to 18 minutes, until rice is tender.
• For pork, cut 4 slits into each loin and nest garlic and bay into meat. Place meat on nonstick baking sheet. Combine the spices. Coat meat with oil. Rub spices over the pork tenderloins and place in oven. Roast meat 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let juices redistribute, then slice and serve with soffrito rice and garnishes of chopped tropical fruit or chopped cilantro and scallions.
• Suggested drink: mojitos!

CUBAN-STYLE, PORK & RICE

Steps:

• Combine paprika, lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, rum (if using), 2 teaspoons minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a homogeneous paste.
• Add pork and stir to coat.
• Marinate pork 4-24 hours.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the pork, leaving any excess spice mixture in the bowl to add later.
• Cook the pork, stirring, until just cooked on the outside and the spices are very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the pork to a plate.
• Add onion and the remaining 2 tablespoons garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add rice and cook, stirring, until well coated with the onion mixture.
• Stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, saffron and any remaining spice mixture. (If using brown rice, also add 3/4 cup water now.)
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes for arborio, 30 minutes for brown rice.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir shrimp (if using) and artichokes (or green beans) into the rice.
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the pork and any accumulated juices from the plate; scatter roasted peppers on top.
• Cover and continue baking until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (if you've added shrimp, they should be opaque and pink), 10 to 15 minutes more.

CUBAN-STYLE PORK AND RICE

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to make a homogenous paste. Add the pork and toss to coat well; refrigerate for several hours. (For the best flavor, refrigerate the pork, covered, for up to 16 hours.).
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the pork from the spice paste and pat dry, reserving the spice paste in the bowl. Add the pork to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the pork and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and garlic, and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 5 minutes, or until soft.
• Add the rice, stirring until well coated with the onion mixture. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, saffron and the reserved spice paste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
• Stir in the capers, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in the pork, then scatter the peppers, shrimp (if using), and artichoke hearts over the rice.
• Cover and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the rice is tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the shrimp (if using) are opaque and pink.
• To serve, stir the rice to incorporate all the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

CUBAN-STYLE PORK STEW

Steps:

• Cut Pork shoulder roast into 2 inch cubes.
• In a medium bowl, stir together garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and cumin. Add in the zest, juices and vinegar, stirring to make a paste.
• Add the pork pieces and toss until evenly coated.
• Cut the onions into think slices and arrange on the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Pour the broth over the onions.
• Arrange the pork in an even layer over the onions, pouring over any reserved marinade.
• Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or 8 hours on low) until the pork is fork-tender.