I’m an American with a melting pot in my personal gene pool; some of which is Puerto Rican thanks to my mom. My dad gave me a cool anglo mix of English, Irish, and German. This means I can cook and dance in all kinds of languages – just don’t ask me to speak them all. This year there have been a lot of hurricanes; two of which hit the Caribbean really hard, specifically Puerto Rico. I’m thankful that my family there is okay, so I wanted to do a post of one of my most favorite Puerto Rican comfort foods, Puerto Rican Style Corned Beef. It’s not anything like the Irish corned beef that is served with cabbage (which really isn’t all that Irish, but that’s for another Pintesting). This is more like a stew that is best served over rice. I always go to this pin for the recipe by Tammy of The Self Taught Cook.
I will tell you up front that there is one addition that I make to the Puerto Rican Style Corned Beef which is how my family has always made it. We add olives. If you are familiar with Hispanic cooking then you could add alcaparrado; a mixture of pimento stuffed green olives and capers. I didn’t have any on hand, so olives it is.
NOTE: If you’re going to serve this with rice – as you should, start that first. That way everything will be ready to eat at the same time. I love it when a meal comes together perfectly.
The Pintesting:
The Ingredients are easy enough to find in most grocery stores. Look in the ethnic aisle for Adobo (all-purpose seasoning salt) and Sazon (get the one with coriander & annatto). Any good chicken bouillon will do if you can’t find the one pictured below and don’t let the canned corned beef throw you. Stick with me on this.
Heat the oil and fry the potato. Be careful to not splash the oil and burn yourself.
Remove the potato to drain on paper towels and set aside.
Add the white onion, red pepper, and garlic to the pan and saute until tender but not browned.
Add tomato sauce, seasonings, and broth.
Once it’s all simmering, add the canned corned beef. Break it up with your spoon as your stirring everything.
This is when I add in the olives or alcaparrado.
Let this simmer for about 15 minutes then add in the potato and green onions.
Cook this for another 5 minutes or so to heat everything through.
Your rice should be done now so dinner is ready to eat!
This is the kind of comfort food that warms you on a cold day; the kind that can help soothe your heart when you’re worried about your loved ones after a hurricane. Comfort comes in many forms and mine comes from the kitchen – like soup when you’re sick.
Please continue to pray for all those who were affected by the 2017 hurricane season and help as you are able.
The Pintesting Results:
Overall Results: 4.85
Accuracy: This recipe is just like how I remember eating this as a child (if you add the olives). The taste and texture are perfect and it always comes out right. 5 Pins
Difficulty: There is a bit of peeling and chopping in the prep work and the frying (and removal) of the potatoes could cause splattering if you’re not careful. 4 Pins
Time: The prep work took about 7 minutes and the cook time was roughly 20 minutes. The total time – including the rice – was about half an hour. That’s a lot of flavor and comfort for a quick meal. 5 Pins
Cost: Most of the ingredients are staples in my home. If you had to buy everything except the oil (which is in most kitchens), it would cost roughly $20 – less at a Hispanic store. Served with rice, this will feed 4-6 servings. . . unless your husband goes back for thirds. 5 Pins
Practicality: This recipe comes together very easily and quickly. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or you can add a salad and some tostones with garlic sauce to make a heartier Sunday supper. The leftovers, if you have any, are delicious the next day, too. 5 Pins