Cubano Steak

Larry and I love our steaks. We eat a lot of steak, and because we eat a lot of steak, I am always looking for new ideas and new ways to prepare it. As I was looking through my personal culinary library, I came up with a great inspiration and made it Cubano style. I served my Cubano steak with our leftovers from when Julia were “just playing around” in the kitchen together More Fun In The Kitchen With Julia.

Cubano, or Cuban, styled foods are known for their characteristic citrus flavors. They also have lots of aromatic spices, garlic and onions. My favorites. I like BIG, BOLD flavors. Cuban cuisine blends Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences into bold, soulful meals. Traditional Cuban dishes often feature slow-cooked meats, aromatic sofrito, and citrus-based marinades. Cuban sofrito is a savory cooking base made from finely diced onions, green bell peppers, and garlic slowly sautéed in olive oil, usually finished with a touch of tomato paste or sauce, cumin, and oregano. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare and forms the flavorful foundation for classic dishes like black beans, ropa vieja, and picadillo. Unlike most Mexican dishes, Cuban food is NOT spicy. It has a more Spanish take on foods and food preparations. Instead of hot chili peppers, Cuban cooking relies on savory, aromatic flavor bases, which is reliant on using more ingredients like garlic, onion, olive oil, and herbs rather than fiery heat and cumin, oregano, and bay leaves instead of chili powder or hot peppers. Cuban cuisine is more European and African in nature than Mesoamerican like Mexican food.

Cubano Steak

I marinated my steak in an orange juice and garlic base, which is very Cuban.

2-3 lbs steak

1 cup orange juice

6-8 garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 red chili pepper, diced fine

1-2 TBSP orange vinegar, optional

1-2 TBSP orange olive oil, optional

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 TBSP fresh chopped oregano

Mix everything together well and pour over your steak to marinate. You can use this for chicken or pork as well if you like. Let the meat marinate for at least 2-3 hours before cooking it.

When you are ready to grill the steaks, reserve the marinade to make your sauce to top the cooked meat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the steak is cooked, spoon some of the reduced sauce over the steak and serve. Esta mui rico. Desfruitas!

Live life to the fullest and make it delicious. Enjoy the ride and the foods along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time