Today's Hispanic Heritage Month recipe is kind of a two-for-one. You see, earlier in the week I wrote about the incredible way that Puerto Ricans make pork shoulder with the most delicious traditional pernil recipe. That's a dish that Fredy Perojo describes as "the best" and Mariela Rosario raves about because "anytime I smell it, it makes me think of home".
Well, now that we've gotten that recipe out of the way, I have to share what MY favorite is: alcapurrias! They're traditional Puerto Rican ground beef fritters (though I've also had them stuffed with other things) and make a really filling snack or even lunch. In fact, even though I'm not Puerto Rican, I'm seriously craving one right now! Check out the recipe, below, and make your own.
Read more ¿Qué más? Hispanic Heritage Month: Traditional Salvadoran pupusas (RECIPE)
Alcapurrias, a.k.a. Puerto Rican Ground Beef Fritters (recipe courtesy of About.com)
Ingredients (For the Dough):
5 medium green bananas
1 pound yautía (taro root)
2 teaspoons salt
Ingredients (For the Filling):
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp. sofrito
1 tbsp. alcaparrado (mix of olives, pimientos and capers)
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Read more ¿Qué más? Hispanic Heritage Month: Honduran bean fondue (RECIPE)
Directions:
1.For the Dough: Peel the green bananas and place in a bowl of cold salted water. Peel and wash the yautías and place in a bowl of cold salted water. Grate the bananas and yautías. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and mix well. Set aside.
2. For the Filling: In a deep pot or frying pan, brown the ground beef. Drain off the fat. Add sofrito, alcaparrado mix, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
3. Put it all together: On a piece of wax paper, spread out 1 to 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture and make a shallow well in the center. You can also use the palm of your hand instead of wax paper.
4. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling into the well and cover it with some more masa mix. Use the back of spoon to smooth the masa all around the filling so no meat is showing. You can freeze the alcapurrias at this point for eating later.
4. Heat enough oil, in a fryer or deep frying pan, to cover the alcapurrias when frying. The oil should be heated to about 360°F.
5. Add the alcapurrias, being careful not to splash the oil or crowd the fryer. Fry until crispy and golden, from 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Drain the alcapurrias on paper towels and allow to cool before eating.
Image via Jorge Rodriguez/flickr
