Homemade Cuchifritos and Apple Pie. No kidding.

Floods. Hurricanes and cool weather... it's feeling like summer's over, but I'm not sad about it.  I absolutely love the Holidays.

One of the best things that I feel that I've given my kids is Traditions.   For all their lives, this is what they know and expect;

• Once September comes around we go apple picking, come home and warm the house with the sweet smell of homemade apple pie that we've made together.  We also make homemade apple sauce which for those of you who've had it know that the store-bought kind does not compare.  When you make homemade apple sauce, it has this certain melt-in-your mouth, rich flavor that flirts with your taste buds with a hint of cinnamon.  I never enjoyed apple sauce, until I started making it myself.  We also have enough apples that at some point during the week, I will make Apple Fritters for breakfast.  They are amazing with coffee, and small side of some cheddar cheese.
• October comes around and we carve pumpkins.  This is my least favorite activity because I'm a neat-freak and pumpkin guts make me crazy.  I still love watching my kids do it.  My son is adorable because last year, even at 17 he really got into it.  My favorite part is making the roasted pumpkin seeds, which I've only been doing for a few years after getting the idea from my friend Kathleen.  I have the kids pull out all the seeds, which is a long drawn out process but for some reason the younger the child the more they enjoy doing it.  I then boil the seeds in salt water.  Once cooked, I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place the seeds, sprinkle with a little olive oil, sea salt and bake at 350 degrees until golden.  Again, the store bought seeds do not compare to this.  I also love to bake Halloween cookies, cupcakes and treats with the kids.  Making costumes together is fun too.  I found with my kids, that they never forgot the Halloweens when we made their costumes together.
• Thanksgiving rolls around, and that's my Dad's favorite holiday so we have dinner there.  My Dad likes to go all out and make all the dishes on this day.  I will usually cook a small family dinner before Thanksgiving at my house, just so we also have our own moment to give thanks here at home too.
• Christmas:  Last year my daughter and I baked about 300 cookies to give away in tins, as well as coffee cakes and the famous Pistachio Cake.  We loved it.  She still remembers this as a labor of love and bonding moment.  There's also the celebratory Christmas Ham, Arroz Con Guandules, Pernil, Homemade Cornbread, etc... Also, the making of a gingerbread house is a very big deal in my home.  The kids look forward to this very much.  By this time I'm all baked out so I usually order the "parts" to the house from our local bakery, and have them assemble it on Christmas Eve. 

And now, let me acquaint you with my Puerto Rican roots...  These dishes are usually found in many Caribbean households during the Holidays.  They are primarily served as fritters, or appetizers, but in actuality and nutritional content, would constitute as a meal because of the ingredients.  They do stick to your ribs, but in the most terrific way.  So, satisfying!

Cuchifritos:  Fried meat pastries.  Literally means "kitchen-fried"
(Indians have Samosas.   Latino-Caribbeans have cuchifritos...)

I'll stick to 3 basic ones.  For the sake of learning, and for convenience, you can fill all 3 with the same meat.  These can be time consuming to make, so it helps immensely to have a food processor for these.  And a deep fryer is a blessing as well, if you have one.  In reality, you can fill cuchifritos with any types of meats and cheeses.  My childhood friend, Maria, reminded me that you can even fill them with fruit!

It's also a fun project to take on as a family, or with a couple of friends with a glass of wine and some Salsa playing in the background.  I recommend the classics by Hector LaVoe and El Gran Combo!

Beef Picadillo (pee-kah-dee-jo)

1. Finely dice green peppers, red peppers, purple onions & Spanish olives then saute in a light coating of olive oil.  
2. Add ground beef or turkey
3. Add one tablespoon of Sofrito.  If  you don't have sofrito, generously add crushed garlic, and finely chopped cilantro and coriander.
4. Add Sazon, Adobo and Oregano Powder.  Season well but please be careful not to make too salty.  I recommend that you add the spices in slowly and test.  This could make or break your dish.
5. Add half a can to a can of tomato sauce, depending on how much meat you're making.  
6. I like to mix all ingredients, ground meat and spices with a potato masher, as everything is cooking.
7. Taste to ensure spice level is to your liking.  This dish is so aromatic and delicious.

Now you get to stuff the cuchifritos with your Picadillo.

In Puerto Rico we call them Empanadillas, Pastelillos or a derivation of this that we call Tacos (nothing like what in the States is normally referred to as Tacos).  In the Dominican Republic they also refer to them as Pastelitos.  It took me forever to realize what my ex-husband was referring to, months after we got married.  In the States, I also hear people refer to them as Empanadas but technically an Empanada is a chicken-fried steak.  Semantics, I know.  In the end, all it means is a Latin Beef Pattie.
 

 Empanadillas 

1. Buy a pack of the Goya Discos ("flour discs") in the frozen food section of your market, where the Latino items are kept.  Make sure they are thawed out and ready for use, but not overly sticky either.
2. Lay out a disc, take a heaping table spoon of Picadillo and place in the center.  Now fold over the disc, and close with a moistened fork.  Set down on a plate.  Try not to have them touch each other or separate with plastic or parchment paper so that they don't stick.
3. Heat cooking oil in a pan, or use your deepfryer and fry until golden brown.  Let cool a bit  before eating.  These seem to be everyone's favorite.  So incredibly crispy, flavorful and delicious!
4. You can wrap the remaining ones in PressNSeal and fry at a later date.  They're great collateral for the husbands!  "Honey, I have some empanadillas waiting for you after you finish cleaning out the garage".  Try it!

 Alcapurrias (al.kah.pooh.rree.as)

 This is the more complicated of the 3, because of how the dough is made.  It has the robustness of Platano (plantain) flavor that is so delicious when fried.  This dough is made from Caribbean roots and plaintains and can be  filled with the picadillo as well.

1. 1 and 3/4 Lbs of Yautia (Tuber Root, or Taro Root can also be used)
2. 3 Lbs of unripened, green bananas
3. 2 tablespoons of salt
4. 2 large or 3 small Platanos
5. Peel all roots and bananas.  Now cut up all in chunks.
6. Throw all ingredients in a food processor.  Please, you don't want to do this by hand.  I give all the respect in the world to the women who did it this way, nowadays why would you grind 7 pounds of starchy vegetables by hand?  I timed myself, and with a food processor I was able to complete steps 5 and 6 in exactly 22 minutes.  I tell you this because many people are intimidated by these thinking that it is a long grueling process.  With the right tools, I assure you that it's easy-breezy.
7. Ease some olive oil as you are mixing these. Not too much, do it slowly.  You just need to moisten the mix, and starchiness of the roots. 
8. Ensure the dough is mixed well.  Set in a large closed container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  This is pure chemistry here, so that the dough binds and sets well.  It will allow the dough to be malleable enough to work with as well.
9. After the 8 hours passed, take out the dough and the picadillo from it's storage container.  Lay out a square of parchment paper.  With a large serving spoon, scoop out dough and set on parchment square. Flatten the dough only very lightly with the spoon.
10. Take a tablespoon and place beef picadillo in the center of dough. 
11. Bring the sides of the parchment paper up, so as to help you roll the dough over the meat filling.  It should end up in an oval shape (see photo).
12. Once the dough completely covers meat and has been formed in to an oval shape, wrap the Alcapurria with press and seal.  This recipe should render about 15 med-large Alcapurrias.  
13. Freeze before you fry.  This makes it a lot easier to work with.  Once fried, let cool a bit before biting into it.  Remember that you cooked this with hot oil.
14. Now enjoy with a bottle of Grape Soda.  Don't ask me why it has to be grape but my Mom insists there is no other way and it must be done.  Pineapple soda may do as well.  Mom?

Filling Alcapurria dough with Picadillo

Dough, once folded over  neatly with parchment paper

 

Grape Soda for Mom

Rellenos de Papa (re.jeh.nos -de -pah.pah)

Literally means "stuffed with potato"

Working Mom Disclaimer:  You already know my theory on keeping traditions alive but doing so in the most convenient way wherever possible.  I highly recommend that you consider using instant mashed potatoes, although that is not how the traditional ones are made. 

1. Make a large serving of instant mashed potatoes.
2. Once cooled, scoop a handful.
3. Place a tablespoon full of Picadillo in the center and push through so that the potato completely encases the meat.  Shape into a ball.
4. Dip in an egg wash, then roll in seasoned flour (just as you would make breaded foods).
5. Fry all sides in vegetable oil until golden.  Let cool and enjoy.  

When eating cuchifritos, people are particular about that they drink.  My mom, for instance, demands her Grape soda.  I love a cold beer with them, and I'm not even crazy about beer.  It's rare that I ever have it, but in this case it goes so well.

Did you notice how we made all 3 in the same weekend using a large pack of ground beef and making a large batch of the Beef Picadillo?  We also used our food processor, parchment paper and PressNSeal.  These tools make this so much easier.

Also, please consider that although balanced with protein, vegetables, carbs and fats, these dishes have a higher carb and fat ratio.  It's tough because they are so delicious and like potato chips, you can't have just one.  I do recommend that for nutritional purposes, we eat these sparingly and keep them to special events or the occasional craving. 

Few things instantly take me back to Puerto Rico as much as making and cooking these do.  It reminds me so much of Mamita, my Mom, Titi Maria and "Madrinita".

So there it is, Friends!  Let's try a practice round together so we can get ready for the holidays.  I sense there will be some very impressed mother-in-laws in the near future...


Muy Buen Provecho!