Quesa Cubano Recipes

BIRRIA QUESA TACOS

Steps:

• Heat sesame seeds, cumin, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and the sesame seeds begin to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Heat beef broth in a medium-sized pot and turn to a low simmer.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol peppers, turning occasionally. Remove the peppers once they have started to blister a bit, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Place the peppers in the pot of simmering broth. Cover and allow to simmer until the peppers are rehydrated and tender, about 20 minutes.
• Slice 3/4 of the onion into thick slices and finely dice the rest. Put the diced onion aside. Add the thick slices to the pot, along with the garlic, and cook until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Heat remaining oil in the pot over medium-high heat, and add goat meat. Allow to brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the warmed spices, peppers and broth, onions, garlic, vinegar, salt, Oregano, and thyme into a blender. Allow to cool slightly before blending to prevent scalding yourself, about 5 minutes. Blend until very smooth.
• Add the blended sauce into the pot, and stir, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove the meat from the sauce and allow to cool enough to shred. Shred the meat with your hands or with 2 forks. Stir in about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Blend the diced tomatoes until very smooth and add to the sauce.
• Working in batches, dip each tortilla in the pot of sauce and place in a hot pan. Add a bit of the meat mixture and a bit of cheese. Fold in half and brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the remaining sauce into 4 small bowls. Serve the tacos and sauce with the reserved diced onion, lime wedges, and cilantro.
• Pour the remaining sauce into 4 small bowls. Serve the tacos and sauce with the reserved diced onion, lime wedges, and cilantro.

FRITA CUBANO

Steps:

• For the quick mojo aioli: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, cumin, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Cover and refrigerate until ready to dress the burgers.
• For the burgers: Mix the ground beef, chorizo, cumin, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper in a large bowl, folding it over itself until thoroughly mixed. Let the meat rest 15 minutes at room temperature or for up to 4 hours refrigerated. Shape the meat into 12 balls all the same size, then lightly press them into chubby round patties.
• Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and sweat until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the patties on top of the onions and press the patties onto the onions using a spatula. Let cook, 3 to 4 minutes; the onions will continue to cook and caramelize in the patty juices, adding flavor to the patties. Flip the patties and cook until firm, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and top with the Swiss cheese.
• Spread 1 tablespoon mojo aioli on the bottoms of each Hawaiian roll, then top with a patty and a generous handful of the Mini French Fries. Serve.
• Peel the potatoes, then shred them on the largest holes of a box grater. Soak in cold water to remove starch and prevent browning, 5 minutes. Strain in a colander and dry on paper towels.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 375 degrees F.
• Fry the potatoes in batches, moving the potatoes gently with a spider to keep them separated, until brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove to a bowl, season with salt and toss to ensure all the fries are thoroughly seasoned.

QUESA CUBANO

Steps:

• Place the tortilla on a round plate. Sprinkle the Cheddar on one half of the tortilla, and top with the ham. Microwave until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Top with the pickles and spread the mustard on the other half. Fold over to make a quesadilla shape.

CUBANO SANDWICH WITH QUICK PICKLES

Steps:

• For the quick pickles: Combine the sugar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, dried dill, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic, onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
• Toss the cucumber slices with 1 tablespoon of salt and place in a strainer. Let the slices sit for 10 minutes, then rinse well with cold water.
• Put the pickles in a jar, pour in the pickling liquid and leave for at least 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated for up to 10 days.
• For the cheater mojo dressing: Mix together the dressing, lime juice and orange juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the sandwiches: Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium heat.
• Spread a thin layer of mustard on the inside of each roll. Put some quick pickle slices on each bottom roll, then top with a cheese slice. (You may need to cut the cheese slices into triangles to fit.) Toss the ham in the bowl with the mojo dressing, letting the excess drip off. Put 4 ounces of ham on each sandwich. Put the tops on the sandwiches.
• Spread butter on the outside of the sandwiches and put them in the cast-iron pan (do not crowd the pan; you may need to do 2 batches). Place a second cast-iron pan on top of the sandwiches and press down. Cook the sandwiches on one side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the top pan and turn the sandwiches over, making sure they are golden brown on the bottom. Place the top pan back on the sandwiches and press down. Cook the sandwiches until golden brown on the second side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut in half diagonally. Serve warm.

CUBANO

Steps:

• Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and spread evenly on the inside of the bread slices. Layer on half of the cheese, the ham, pork, Quick Garlic Pickles and the remaining cheese. Cover with another slice of bread and butter the outside (top and bottom) of the sandwich.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat and place the sandwiches in the pan. Top with a second cast-iron skillet to weigh the sandwiches down. After 2 minutes, turn down the heat to medium low, flip the sandwiches and weigh down again with the second skillet. Check the sandwiches after 1 more minute, and remove when golden brown and the cheese has melted.
• Ingredients and Directions
• Place the cucumber slices in a medium bowl. Heat 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan with the vinegar, onions, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes and garlic, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat and pour over the cucumbers and stir to coat the slices well. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and serve.

QUESABIRRIA TACOS

Steps:

• Use a spoon to skim the red-stained fat floating on the top of the birria pot - it's deeply seasoned and the key to crisp, delicious tacos - and put it on a plate. Pull the meat and shred it with your hands, or a fork. (The meat should be very lightly dressed in broth, but not swimming in it.)
• Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium. Working quickly, dip each tortilla into the birria fat on one side then flop it onto the hot pan, fat-side down. As it starts to sizzle, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese to cover each tortilla, going all the way to the edges, then sprinkle about 1/4 cup meat over half of each tortilla.
• As the tortillas brown and the cheese starts to melt, fold each tortilla in half to cover the meat, pressing down gently. It's OK if some cheese spills out, in fact, it's encouraged; this leads to lacy, crispy edges. Manage the heat and flip the tacos as needed to avoid burning, cooking until crisp on both sides.
• Just before eating, lift up the taco edge and season each with a little onion, cilantro and lime juice, to taste.