Raul Musibay, of the 3 Guys in Miami fame and I have been corresponding for several years. It all started when I e-mailed them asking if they had any idea of how to make ‘raspadura', a very common confection made with sugar cane juice given to children when I was growing up, as a "contra'" or extra by small grocery store owners in Cuban neighborhoods when you were sent to buy something. Central and South Americans know this confection as ‘piloncillo' or ‘panela' and it is made of unrefined brown sugar.
Through the years he and the other two members of the 3 Guys, Jorge & Glenn and I have corresponded and bought each other's cookbooks. I have featured some of their recipes both in my blog and in Gather several times.
When Raul learned I was planning on visiting Miami this past month, he said he would host the traditional pig roast for which he has become famous if I made him the flan recipe I had featured in my blog last Christmas holidays. I told him it was a deal!
Raul and his son Onel inspecting the pig
The pig roast in my honor was held Saturday, April 21 at Raul and Esther's home in Miami. We mingled with members and friends of both our families and the whole event was a huge success!
Esther, Raul and Sonia
Raul has a system for roasting the pig which he learned from his father and father-in-law long ago in Cuba, is the easiest method I have ever seen and doesn't take all day or all night as most people commonly think. Click here to find out how.
Flipping the pig over!
After a few hours, they take off two layers of the blocks and bring the pig down closer to the heat source.
Tere basting the pig following Esther's instructions
When the pig is ready, they untie the top section of 'fencing' used for securing the pig over the fire and then carry it to where a pan is waiting to flip the pig into the pan
Flipping it into the pan
Come and get it!
Tere & Steven cutting up the pig.....Cookie taking pictures!
Pan Cubano, or Cuban bread is not quite like French or Italian bread. It has a taste and consistency of it's own. If you can't find it in your area, either French or Italian can make an 'adequate' substitute, but it will not be the same!
Cutting the Cuban bread
Raul tasting Sonia's flan
2 Guys from Miami and the Gal from Hawaii!
Please read the instructions the 3 Guys provide in their website and look at the diagrams for making the "pig holder", which makes it so easy to flip the whole thing over.
You can read their version of this fun event here!
Esther's Fantastic Mojo Sauce
4 or 5 heads garlic cloves
2 teaspoons salt
Black peppercorns (whole)
Oregano (to taste)
1 quart sour orange juice
(In a pinch, use two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime)
Sour oranges can be found usually in Hispanic or Asian markets. If you can't find them fresh to juice yourself, use the substitution above, but it won't taste exactly the same.
Yes, you read it right the first time. 4 or 5 HEADS of garlic. That should be about 70 to 80 cloves!
Pound the garlic cloves in batches with some salt, oregano and some the whole peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, scooping it out and placing in a clean large mayonnaise or pickle glass jar as you finish pounding each batch.
Add the sour orange juice and mix well. Keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using.
Baste the pig liberally and also use the mojo sauce to drizzle over the bread when filling it with the shredded bits of pork. Don't be shy! Everyone else will be doing the same!
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Sonia Martinez, Gather Food Correspondent | ||||
Sonia's column, 'Tropical Taste' is a regular twice-monthly feature of Gather Essentials: Food. Sonia is a cookbook author and freelance food writer for several publications in Hawaii, and is also a Hawaii Island Journal restaurant reviewer in partnership with her son Anthony Mathis. She lives in a beautiful rural rainforest area on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can keep up with Sonia's adventures and ongoing love affair with Hawaii by joining her network, or visiting her food & garden blog at Sonia Tastes Hawaii. | ||||
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Comments: 56
Is the sour orange you mention, the same as Asian kumquats or the Filipino calamansi?
No, the sour orange is the size of a regular orange - not kumquat or calamansi - but you could use calamansi, you would just need lots of them to make up the amount of juice needed, since the calamansi are so small.
How touching
Debbie, we all gourged! Besides the roast pork, bread and the tamales and boiled shrimp we nibbled on while waiting for the pork, you should have seen the desserts!!! None of us thought of taking pictures!
Nicole, thank you! I'm so glad I could finally get the article out. It took me forever today as I was having serious issues uploading the photos in the Gather editing site.
You and Tere are part of my new family of favorite Cubans! I can't wait until we can all get together again....and by the way, you did a great job of 'flipping' that pig....as well as Tere basting it!
Thanks, I felt really good during the whole trip, considering how much traveling we did.........but the flight back did me in!
I don't think we will be roasting a whole pig anytime soon. Any other recommendations on what else to use the mojo with?
You are so right about the bread, even though it looks like french or italian it has a different flavor. Why is that? Do you have a recipe for the bread by any chance?
Looks like a fun time! Glad to see you back gathering!
My husband has roasted several pigs. He does something a little interesting ... he takes the beer pop tops and makes little earrings for the pigs :-)) I'm going to forward this article to him. I think the mojo sounds fantastic. Glad you are home. I missed you.
I would love to experience this Cuban porcine feast. The tastes and smells will probably be completely different. But I'm sure there will be the same joy on the feasters' faces.
Like Tonia G., I just have to finagle an invite from a skilled Cuban BBQer. I'm workin' on it.
Shannon, the mojo can be used even when you make a small pork roast, roast chicken, etc..we also use it over fried green plantains that have been cut thinly into round chips (chicharritas), in long thin strips (mariquitas), in chunks fried once, smashed flat and re-fried until crispy (tostones) or also as a sauce over boile yuca (casava)....Can be used as a dip for anything you want!
Moggy, I have several recipes for pan cubano, but unfortunately, it has never turned out for me the way it should.....not sure if its the flour or the ambiance....it just never turns out. I even gave one of the best recipes I have to a local artisan baker and his results were dismal! - read what I say to Shannon above about uses for the sauce....you might talk your dad into using it on chicken or on a small pork roast.
Linda, I'm so glad you have enjoyed my trip photos and am sure they brought memories of when you lived there!
Please share a pic of your husband's roasted pigs wearing earrings.......that must be just too funny!
Thanks you, I am glad to be home!
I hope you get to experience the lechon sometime soon!
We also had Cuban tamales and boiled shrimp....This was all more than enough....the rice, black beans, tostones (friend green plantains) would have been a bit much for this type gathering.......!
The mojo was the best I've ever eaten!
Your pictures, Sonia, are fascinating , the company obviously fun, and boy, does that Mojo sauce sound good! I'm so happy you're back, and delighted you had a wonderful time....
Thank you for your comment, your support and your friendship. It was a great day and we all enjoyed meeting new people!....and of course, the food!
Thank you for coming to our home, you, your family and friends.
Thank you for the "flan" (riquisimo)
Raul & Esther
Everyone in our circle of family and friends who were there are still talking about it! I have also shared it with the Cocina Cubana group (Cookie and Sandra also posted pictures over there) and now everyone wants to join us next time.......Do you think we might lease Tropical Park to hold the next event??? ;-)
Glad you enjoyed my flan...Tell Esther her mojo is making history!
Moggy, Kevin Weeks makes a great cubano and there's either a recipe here on on his blog...
Sonia, this whole feast looks mouth watering. Thank you so much for once again coming through with interesting reporting and colorful/illustrative photos. Fabulous post.
Yes, Beth is REALLY bad!
When you say our recipes are derived from Mexico, do you mean Cuban recipes?....Actually the cuisines of Cuba and Mexico are quite different..... Cuban food is a combination based on the food of Spain with a big influence from the Africans who were brought to Cuba to work the sugar cane fields.......
Hmmmm.... Pig!
BTW,
Here's a link to an excellent Cuban bread recipe: http://theunemployedcook.blogspot.com/2006/04/ultimate-cuban-sandwich_04.html
Thanks Kevin, I will check it out! I assume that is the one you used when you made your Cuban Sandwich?
Shannon.....don't grill the plantains. For this type meal, they would be best when fried green, in chunks about 2 inches, then when golden, placed between layers of brown paper bag, smashed flat and then re-fried to a crisp "shell". Salt liberally or drizzle with mojo.....!
Thanks for the link Kevin.
Let me know if you try it
David, thank you for reading and commenting.....!
Thanks for passing on Esther's Mojo. Can't wait to try it.
Make sure the bottled sour orange juice doesn't have other ingredients and additives.....it will change the taste of the mojo.
Let me know when you try it!
Thanks for posting your adventures and I'm glad you had a great time. Thanks so much for the mojo sauce. We used to keep horses in Upstate New York, and the people who boarded them for us on their farm used to do a pig on a spit every July 4th, and it, too was absolutely wonderful! Coulnd't imagine myself roasting a pig or even a piglet on our backyard BBQ.
The first pig roast I remember, was in Cuba and I must have been about 7 or 8 - we were vacationing in a farm owned by friends of ours across the bay from my hometown....They did theirs the old fashioned way, digging a hole in the ground and lining with rocks. The pig would be marinated with mojo and wrapped in banana leaves and covered up.....it was great!
Maybe I will roast a "cow"jajajajaja. I think a lot of people are coming.(every body are welcome) Sonia, you are the greatest.
Raul
Make sure you have plenty cookbooks on hand and pens filled with ink....;-)))
Thanks for not disappointing me with this article. :)
Connie.....great comment! Thank you for reading my stuff.....I'm so glad you enjoy all the photos, because I love taking them!
I've never eaten fried plantains with a rum sauce - recipe?
We normally just cut the very ripe plantains at a slant and then fry and serve as is
we have always had a big roaster that spins and bastes the pig,and the whole neighborhood just smelled like bacon and ham...ahhhhhh the memories thanks :)