Portada La Razon Recipes

ROASTED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork on all sides with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Add the mushrooms, garlic, onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour the wine mixture into the dish with the pork and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Pour the pan juices into a medium saucepan. Stir in the parsley and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the pork into twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish and place a piece of cheese on each slice. Bake until the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon the wine sauce over the top of the pork and serve.

PASTELóN

Steps:

• Prepare the plantains: Line a sheet pan with paper towels; set aside. Cut off the ends of each plantain. With the tip of a knife, score plantains lengthwise and peel off the skin. Using a serrated knife or chef's knife, cut each plantain in half lengthwise, and then halve again lengthwise so you end up with 24 long slices. (If some of the slices break or are unevenly shaped, that's OK! Carry on.)
• In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat 1 cup oil over medium-high to between 350 and 375 degrees. Working with 4 to 6 slices at a time, depending on what fits, fry plantains until deep golden brown, turning halfway through, about 6 minutes total. Transfer fried plantains to the prepared sheet pan and cook remaining plantains; set aside. (Let oil cool, then strain and reserve for another use.)
• Prepare the sofrito: Put onion, bell pepper, ají dulce chiles (if using), garlic, cilantro and culantro (if using), in a food processor; blend until it becomes a rough, wet purée. (You should have about 1 cup sofrito).
• Prepare the picadillo: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium until it shimmers. Add the sofrito and cook, stirring often, until purée thickens and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is evenly cooked and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Turn off heat. Push meat mixture to one side, and carefully tilt skillet so that the fat from the meat collects at the bottom of the tilted pan; spoon off and discard as much of this excess fat as you can.
• Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes fall apart and the liquid starts to reduce, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in olives and raisins, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Picadillo can be made up to 2 days in advance. Rewarm it in a pan on the stove before proceeding with recipe.)
• Prepare the pastelón: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with butter. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• Lay half the fried plantain slices along the bottom of the baking dish crosswise, piecing any broken pieces together to form an even layer. (If there are small gaps in the plantain layer, this is OK.) Top with half the picadillo (about 2 cups), smoothing it into an even layer, then sprinkle half the cheese on top in an even layer. Repeat with another layer of plantains then the remaining picadillo. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the picadillo layer and spread it so it settles down into the pastelón. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake the pastelón until the egg is cooked, the cheese is melted and the layers are set, 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot.

SAZóN

Steps:

• In an airtight container, combine all ingredients. Cover and shake well to incorporate.
• Use with carne guisada, alcapurrias or