Slow-Cooked Ropa Vieja

The name of this traditional Caribbean dish means old clothes, partly because of the way the beef shreds into tatters. You’ll get the right texture by cooking the beef until it’s so tender that it quite literally falls apart. Serve it on white rice and black beans with diced avocado as a garnish and corn tortillas and lime wedges on the side.

• 
  
  2 (14.5 oz.) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice
  
  


• 
  
  3 medium yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped (about 3 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  3 medium shallots, thinly sliced (1-1/2 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. drained, rinsed, and chopped capers
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. minced garlic
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. dried oregano
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. ground cumin
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  2 dried bay leaves
  
  


• 
  
  3 lb. flank steak
  
  


• 
  
  1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
  
  

In a 6-quart slow cooker, stir together the tomatoes, bell pepper, shallots, olives, capers, garlic, oregano, cumin, black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the bay leaves.

Cut the flank steak in half with the grain, then cut each of these halves into thirds across the grain. Nestle the pieces of beef into the sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef can be shredded easily.

Discard the bay leaves. Shred the meat in the cooker with two forks, then stir in the cilantro, vinegar, and salt to taste.

Bunk’s Pork Belly Cubano Sandwich

At
first glance, this sandwich from Portland’s Bunk Sandwiches looks like a
straight-up reprise of the Cuban working man’s ham and cheese sandwich. But one
substitution alone earned it national acclaim: switching molasses-rubbed, flavor-rich
pork belly for the conventional roast pork. Bunk’s plan includes an overnight
marinade, a three-hour oven roasting, and a final ride in a panini press for
that full-on crispy finish.

For the pork belly

• 
  
  1 cup
  kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  1 cup
  sugar
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. ground fennel seeds
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. ground chile flakes
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. ground nutmeg
  
  


• 
  
  1
  large garlic clove, peeled and halved
  
  


• 
  
  One
  3-lb. slab pork belly, skin removed
  
  


• 
  
  1⁄4
  cup molasses
  
  

For the sandwiches

• 
  
  Six
  6-inch French buns, halved lengthwise
  
  


• 
  
  1⁄4
  cup plus 2 Tbs. high-quality mayonnaise
  
  


• 
  
  1⁄4
  cup American yellow mustard
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp.
  hot sauce
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher
  salt
  
  


• 
  
  10 oz.
  Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
  
  


• 
  
  10 oz. smoked ham, thinly sliced
  
  


• 
  
  3 garlic-dill
  pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
  
  


• 
  
  1⁄4
  cup melted butter
  
  

Make the pork belly

In a
medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar, fennel seeds, chile flakes, and nutmeg.
Rub the raw garlic halves over the pork and discard. Sprinkle the spice mixture
over the pork to coat well. Transfer to a large sealable bag (or a covered roasting
dish) to marinate in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.

An
hour before roasting, remove the pork belly from the refrigerator to bring up
to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Place
the belly in a shallow roasting pan, meat-side down, and brush the top with the
molasses. Place a piece of parchment paper over the meat and cover the pan
tightly with foil. Roast until fork-tender, about 3 hours.

Make the sandwiches

Heat
a panini grill or large cast-iron skillet until hot. Using a sharp knife, cut
the pork crosswise into six 1⁄4-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice in half,
reserving the remaining pork belly for another use.

Open
the buns and spread or squirt about 1-1⁄2 tsp. mayonnaise and 1 tsp. mustard
over each half. Drizzle with a few dashes of hot sauce and sprinkle with salt.
On each bottom half, layer slices of cheese, ham, pork belly, and pickles. Cover
with the tops and brush the outside of each bun with melted butter.

In
batches, place the filled buns in the panini grill, pressing down to flatten
them slightly. If using a cast-iron skillet, put another heavy skillet or
weight on top to flatten them and turn them over after 2 or 3 minutes. Grill
until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Sofrito Scallops with Saffron Rice

Used with everything from beans to meat to fish, the versatile tomato-based sauce called sofrito is the soul of Latin American and Caribbean food. In this Cuban-inspired dish, bay scallops are tossed in the hot sofrito and then served with saffron-infused rice.

• 
  
  3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch of saffron threads
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  
  


• 
  
  1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  
  


• 
  
  3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup dry white wine
  
  


• 
  
  1 8-oz. can tomato sauce, such as Hunt’s
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. ketchup
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. bay scallops
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 lemon
  
  

Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil and the saffron in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until the saffron is sizzling. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add 3 cups water and 1-1/2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute; reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stir once, cover, and cook until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the oregano, cumin, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce and cup water; bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the rice is ready, add the scallops to the hot sofrito and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the rice to a large platter and top with the scallop mixture. Season to taste with lemon juice, and serve immediately.