Top 10 Cuban Meat Dishes

Ropa vieja is the national dish of Cuba, a hearty stew made with shredded beef, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. The stew is traditionally served with yellow rice and a glass of cold beer on the side. Like many Cuban dishes, this one also originated in Spain and was brought over to Cuba and the Caribbean territory by the Spaniards. It is believed that the Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula invented the dish because they could not cook on the Sabbath, so they prepared this hearty stew a day in advance. Ropa vieja means old clothes, referring to an unusual story saying that a poor man once shredded and cooked his clothes because he could not afford to buy food. As he prayed over the pot, a miracle happened and turned his clothes into a flavorful meat stew. Today, ropa vieja is a staple across the Caribbean and Cuba, with tweaks and modifications in the recipes throughout the regions.Expand

Picadillo Cubano is a spicy dish consisting of ground meat, tomatoes, and onions, while other picadillo versions are popular throughout Latin America, Spain, and the Philippines (where it is known as giniling). The dish is usually served with a side of rice or tortillas, although it is used just as often as a filling for numerous wraps and tacos. In Cuba, the cooks like to add raisins for sweetness and olives for salt, in the Philippines, potatoes are often added to the dish, while the Mexican version incorporates additional lime juice, honey, or chili peppers. The name of the dish is derived from the Spanish word picar, meaning to chop or mince, referring to picadillo's key ingredient, ground meat.Expand

Vaca frita is a Cuban dish made by frying shredded skirt or flank steak. When translated, the name of the dish means fried cow, referring to the preparation process. The meat is sometimes topped with sautéed onions, and it is traditionally served with black beans and rice on the side. If there are no black beans and rice, mashed potatoes or french fries are a great alternative for side dishes.Expand

Chuletas de puerco is a traditional way of preparing pork chops. The dish is made with a combination of pork chops, cumin, oregano, garlic, sour oranges, olive oil, onions, and seasonings. The meat is marinated in a mixture of sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, and seasonings. Once fully marinated, the pork chops are fried in olive oil on both sides, then topped with sautéed onions and pan juices. This dish is characterized by the use of traditional Cuban spices such as sour orange juice, cumin, and oregano. Once served, it is often enjoyed with rice and beans on the side. A dish with the same name is often eaten in Mexico, and it's usually prepared with tomato salsa.Expand

Pan con lechón is a traditional sandwich originating from Cuba, but it's also very popular in Miami. This pressed sandwich is made with Cuban bread, lechón roasted pork, butter, onions, and mojo sauce. The bread is cut lengthwise, buttered on both sides, then topped with roasted pork, mojo sauce, and yellow onions – either raw or sautéed. Once assembled, it's placed on a sandwich press, then served. The meat is usually marinated in garlic, orange juice, oregano cumin, and lime juice before it's roasted, while the mojo sauce consists of garlic, oregano, sour orange juice, salt, and black peppercorns.Expand

Frita Cubana (or simply frita) is a burger variety with Cuban origins. It was invented in Havana in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s (there's still no consensus). Originally, these burgers were sold by friteros from their stands, called puestos. The burgers were made with Cuban rolls, ground beef, onions, seasonings such as smoked paprika (pimentón), and julienned potatoes. In 1962, Ramon Estevill brought the burgers to Miami when he opened his small eatery. Nowadays, El Rey De Las Fritas is the most popular frita joint in Miami, and the fritas are made with a spicy tomato sauce, ground beef, a soft bun, red onions, and salty shoestring potatoes.Expand

Bistec de palomilla is a traditional meat dish. It's made with a combination of top sirloin beef, garlic, lime juice, onions, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The steak is cut super thin, marinated in garlic, lime juice, and seasonings, then pan-fried. When served, the meat is topped with sliced onions that have been fried in the same pan with the steak. Traditional accompaniments to the dish include black beans and rice. If desired, bistec de palomilla can be garnished with chopped parsley.Expand

Boliche is a Cuban-style pot roast, but with a distinctive twist that sets it apart from the other pot roasts: eye round or chuck roast is stuffed with chorizo and sometimes hard-boiled eggs or olives. The meat is first seared to develop a rich crust and then slow-cooked in a flavorful broth made from a base of onions, garlic, bell peppers (often referred to as the "sofrito" which is foundational in many Latin American cuisines), tomatoes, wine, and various spices. This simmering process not only tenderizes the meat but also infuses it with the aromatic flavors of the broth. Once cooked, the meat is sliced, revealing the colorful stuffing in each slice, and served with the sauce it was cooked in. It's typically accompanied by white rice, black beans, and sometimes plantains, making for a complete and satisfying meal.Expand

Pulpeta is a classic Cuban meat dish. It's essentially a meatloaf that's prepared with a combination of ground meat (beef and pork), eggs, onions, vinegar, cheese, breadcrumbs, tomatoes, dry wine, and herbs and spices such as oregano, bay leaves, cumin, and parsley. Once assembled, the meatloaf is dipped in eggs, rolled in breadcrumbs, then fried in hot oil until nicely browned. The onions are sautéed with the remaining ingredients, and the meatloaf is then simmered in the sauce. Before serving, pulpeta is often garnished with chopped parsley. Quite often, there are hard-boiled eggs inside the meatloaf, making for an attractive visual presentation when sliced.Expand

Rabo encendido is a spicy Cuban stew prepared with oxtails as the key ingredient. The oxtails are typically cooked in a rich sauce made with tomatoes and red wine, along with vegetables such as potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and green peppers. The stew is additionally flavored with cumin, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, and nutmeg. It's usually prepared in a pressure cooker. Once done, it is recommended to serve rabo encendido with white rice, avocado slices, plantains, or yuca. The stew is typically prepared for special occasions.Expand