Puerto Rican cuisine

We 💘 a good pastele. It took me a while to acquire a taste for them because of their gooey texture, but I love a good one. When we go to Hector's hometown, we may stop and pick up a dozen from someone who has put a sign up in the yard. We tried making them years ago and it took us all day.

If you are ever in the metro area, check out Willy's Pinchos.  They're on PR-833, which is off of PR-177 near the Costco in Bayamón.  Awesome pinchos!!!

I call the "Pionono" Relleno de platanos. I cut the platano(yellow) length wise and then fry them , after they cool, I make a cynlinder or circle and connect them with a toothpick, mean while, I make the meat stuffing of chopped meat, tomatoe sauce, sofrito, adobo, oregano, sazon and a little bit of oil and cook that and after the platanos are cool and I have assembled them, I add the meat and put them in the frying pan and a little beaten egg and continue to fry until they are all set turning every once in a while. These are my relleno de platano which my mother used to make and my husband and family love with some rice and beans. Enjoy!

I've always heard of pastelon with platanos but I guess in different parts of the island, it is made differently.

Rey, my hubby makes pretty good papas rellenas(almost as good as his mother's)  and when you move back and we get together, we will bring you some.

tonie064 wrote:

Rey, my hubby makes pretty good papas rellenas(almost as good as his mother's)  and when you move back and we get together, we will bring you some.

Looking forward to tasting them. Bring some to the house warming party. Don't know yet when since we have to first close the deal and sell our home, maybe in November if we get lucky.
Yum!

You guys are probably an hour from Ceiba?
Maybe I can get a lechonera in Ceiba to make some Lechon for the party.

Make it in December, we are going to be there for a month. 

adlin20 wrote:

Make it in December, we are going to be there for a month. 

Don't worry we will celebrate Navidad and  Las Octavitas, we would be retired so getting some sleep is optional.

Will do, Rey. Looking forward to meeting you and some other expats. Just let me know and we will be there. Yes, we are about 1- 1 1/2 hrs. from Ceiba. No worries, we travel all over the island. My hubby is a vet and we go to San Juan to the VA all the time. With the expreso, it is pretty easy getting there.  Take care and safe travels.

Tonie

You could make a career of listing all the wonderful food places, here in PR; most of them small, roadside vans, or wagons... and you'll never get to them all! There are so many wonderful cooks out there!!!!

mac00677 wrote:

You could make a career of listing all the wonderful food places, here in PR; most of them small, roadside vans, or wagons... and you'll never get to them all! There are so many wonderful cooks out there!!!!

Make a web site charge to list businesses
Have them feed you for free to critique the food.

My favorite dish to make is white rice with pork fat pieces, and a big pot of pinto beans with patitas. Freeze the left over beans if there are any leftovers.
For meat Fried chicken or Pork Chops and Tostones. Skip the salad, or leave it for the rabbits. 

Goat stew is another favorite of mine.

I just had some soul food for dinner. White rice with fried eggs on top snd a pork shop on the side. 

adlin20 wrote:

I just had some soul food for dinner. White rice with fried eggs on top snd a pork shop on the side. 

Feeding the soul is good.
It brings back memories of my childhood.
Rice and fried eggs, no pork chops when we did not have money for meat.
Long ago I knew a girl from Malaysia, she would feed me white rice and fried eggs for breakfast, what a coincidence.

Rey, When I was growing up, my mom used to make it with SPAN (jamonilla). My girls love it, we make it at least once a week......How about some white rice with corn beef and fried plantains on top.......   

adlin20 wrote:

Rey, When I was growing up, my mom used to make it with SPAN (jamonilla). My girls love it, we make it at least once a week......How about some white rice with corn beef and fried plantains on top.......   

Yes I remember SPAM (Slime Passing As Meat). Delicious! I also grew up with it.
Seems to be very popular in Hawaii also.
As I understand SPAM is pricy now.
http://itthing.com/whats-in-that-can-of-spam

I think what you described is "Ropa Vieja"? Love it.
Also like a Mixta (Rice, beans, Beef stew) also very popular and it used to be cheap, many labors would order it when working on a project as it was cheap, and could eat it quickly.
Lets not forget Bistec Ensebollao with Rice, Beans, and some Maduros

Ensebollao, we drop the D from Ensebollado. Or thin slice of steak cooked with lots of onions.

Man, my stomach is rumbling.

How about Pan de Agua, with Mortadella, and a liberal amount of nice salty butter for breakfast and dunk it in your cup of coffee?

For very poor but delicious, Pan the Agua, split open, some olive oil, a little salt and raw onions?

While I am no longer poor I love the poor food.

Did you know that in the mainland they feed the slaves Lobster because it was dirt cheap back then? That is no longer the case in the US, we have no slaves and no cheap Lobster.

Rey,

You are making me hungry!!!

You can still get fresh seafood relatively inexpensive in the island, you just know where to look. For my experience, we like to go to the beach and look for the fishermen coming out of the ocean and ask if they have fresh seafood for sale. Usually they will sell it to you cheaper than the fish market will. When we go to my town (Guayanilla), we look for the fishermen or ask around. Last time we were home we got 2 dozen jueyes for $35 and let me tell you they were DELICIOUS!!!!

And you are right SPAN and corn beef are expensive, how about bacalao! This used to be poor man food, now is rich man food.....

adlin20 wrote:

Rey,

You are making me hungry!!!

Last time we were home we got 2 dozen jueyes for $35 and let me tell you they were DELICIOUS!!!!

And you are right SPAN and corn beef are expensive, how about bacalao! This used to be poor man food, now is rich man food.....

Have not eaten bacalao in a long time, if I remember right, we used to boil it, break it up after it cooled, mix it with oil, raw onions and served it with Verduras (boiled green bananas, yuca, pana, and others) add to that a nice piece of bread to clean up the plate.

One thing I have not found lately that I used to adore is MAVI. I have not found many places selling it. Used to love it and I still do if I can find it.
How about Gofio, have not eaten that since I was a kid.

There is a guy that sells MAVI in Ponce, he is at the highway RR2, if you go from Ponce to Mayaguez, he will be by El Tuque once you pass the industrial zone, far west side. Some of the hotdogs vendors will have it also, but those are more hit and miss. This guys make it at his house and sell it by the glass or by the gallon.
As per the bacalao, yes you have to boil it because of the salt content. We find it in the mainland in the Hispanic food store.
Remember the little cones of gofio at the store? I have not seeing it in a looooong time!

Lets not forget Bistec Ensebollao with Rice, Beans, and some Maduros
Ensebollao, we drop the D from Ensebollado. Or thin slice of steak cooked with lots of onions.
How about Pan de Agua, with Mortadella, and a liberal amount of nice salty butter for breakfast and dunk it in your cup of coffee?
For very poor but delicious, Pan the Agua, split open, some olive oil, a little salt and raw onions?


My favorite dish is bistec ensebollao, black beans, white rice, and maduros -- even from Pollo Tropical it's good!
I used to love tostones, until I ate too many and got sick.  A few frita yucca or frita pana (breadfruit?), or the boiled yucca with garlic oil.   
I love the Pan de Aqua, but Hector likes the Sabao better, so we have to get both loaves at the Panaderia.  We slap a chunk of gouda cheese and fresh avocado between the slice of bread, and we're in hog heaven. 
Bacalao, with boiled roots, and ice cold milk -- comfort food at its finest!

My favorite dessert:  candied green papaya with the white cheese (queso?) ... yum!  I can't get it every where ... they're always trying to sell me flan, which is okay, but I cannot pass up the papaya and cheese!

Thanks to Wilo Benet cookbook, I make a mean carne frita (fried pork chunks). 
Ida from Sweets and Beyond on YouTube is awesome too:   
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY5YcG … Mk0AP_xtOg

Chuleta can can!  I remember the first time I saw that Flintstone-sized pork chop coming out of the kitchen towards our table. OMG I was astounded. 

Hector had some goat stew on St. John island last November that still haunts his taste buds! It was a little hole in the wall restaurant and was the special of the day ... he looked like a stray dog that hadn't eaten for a week. LOL

My dad's mother in law used to work at "La Guardarraya Restaurant " located in the road between Yauco and Guayanilla. It is called that name because it is right on the line dividing both towns. Anyway, she was one of the original makes of chuletas can can.

melendezki wrote:

Lets not forget Bistec Ensebollao with Rice, Beans, and some Maduros
Ensebollao, we drop the D from Ensebollado. Or thin slice of steak cooked with lots of onions.
How about Pan de Agua, with Mortadella, and a liberal amount of nice salty butter for breakfast and dunk it in your cup of coffee?
For very poor but delicious, Pan the Agua, split open, some olive oil, a little salt and raw onions?


My favorite dish is bistec ensebollao, black beans, white rice, and maduros -- even from Pollo Tropical it's good!
I used to love tostones, until I ate too many and got sick.  A few frita yucca or frita pana (breadfruit?), or the boiled yucca with garlic oil.   
I love the Pan de Aqua, but Hector likes the Sabao better, so we have to get both loaves at the Panaderia.  We slap a chunk of gouda cheese and fresh avocado between the slice of bread, and we're in hog heaven. 
Bacalao, with boiled roots, and ice cold milk -- comfort food at its finest!

My favorite dessert:  candied green papaya with the white cheese (queso?) ... yum!  I can't get it every where ... they're always trying to sell me flan, which is okay, but I cannot pass up the papaya and cheese!

Thanks to Wilo Benet cookbook, I make a mean carne frita (fried pork chunks). 
Ida from Sweets and Beyond on YouTube is awesome too:   
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY5YcG … Mk0AP_xtOg

Chuleta can can!  I remember the first time I saw that Flintstone-sized pork chop coming out of the kitchen towards our table. OMG I was astounded. 

Hector had some goat stew on St. John island last November that still haunts his taste buds! It was a little hole in the wall restaurant and was the special of the day ... he looked like a stray dog that hadn't eaten for a week. LOL

What is that pool of liquid in the table?
Oh sorry I was salivating.
I have to try the Gouda and avocado.

It is funny how we all know how to eat cheap, yet eat a lot of delicious food. Being poor has some advantages.

adlin20 wrote:

My dad's mother in law used to work at "La Guardarraya Restaurant " located in the road between Yauco and Guayanilla. It is called that name because it is right on the line dividing both towns. Anyway, she was one of the original makes of chuletas can can.

Never had those chuletas, the bigger the better. I wonder is that is why I have such a big stomach (so I can fit more?)

Speaking of bacalao, I make it like Rey said with verduras, onions and oil and I let it cool in the fridge for a little bit and I also add avocado. Boy is it yummy. I also make it stewed, just like carne guisada. You boil the bacalao for a little bit to get some of the salt out and then stew it with tomatoe sauce, sofrito, adobo, sazon and oregano for a little bit and then add potatoes and serve it over white rice with avocado on the side. Oh that's good.

My mom used to fry up some spam with eggs but I haven't had it in a long time. Of course the Gouda cheese with Ritz crackers and steaming cup of cafe collado.

My favorite meal of all time, is chuletas seasoned really well and fried with arroz con gandules on the side and maduros and a nice slice of avocado.

Another good dessert is pasta de guayaba with ritz crackers and queso blanco. the saltiness of the cheese is ofset by the sweetness of the guayaba paste.

By the way, Rey, my hubby makes Gofio for his sisters, I don't like it but they certainly do.


Adlin, my father was from Guayanilla and I don't know but I might have some family still there. His last name was Ortiz Velasquez and he was a carro publico driver, when they had them. I have told my hubby that one of these days, we will go there and maybe seek out some family.

Well I guess that is all for now. Happy eating .

Tonie

Wow we all same to have about the same likes.
Here is one I have not had in a while also.
When going to a wake, we would be served a hot chocolate with cheese, it would melt at the bottom of the cup before we completed drinking it. I think the cheese may have been "Queso de papas"?

While sad that someone died, the hot chocolate was delicious!

Rey,

Don't forget the domino game and "pitorro" under the table. Funerals were times to bring families and friends together and remember the good( and not so good) times with the departed. Most used to take place at the departed home not at a funeral pallor.

We did not have pitorro at the domino game, but we had Don Q or Llave. After a while it was hard to count the dominos. But we had a good time.

ReyP wrote:

We did not have pitorro at the domino game, but we had Don Q or Llave. After a while it was hard to count the dominos. But we had a good time.

True!!! 

ReyP wrote:

Wow we all same to have about the same likes.
Here is one I have not had in a while also.
When going to a wake, we would be served a hot chocolate with cheese, it would melt at the bottom of the cup before we completed drinking it. I think the cheese may have been "Queso de papas"?

While sad that someone died, the hot chocolate was delicious!

That's where my husband gets this habit!  He's always dropping something in his hot cocoa or hot coffee, like cheese or peanut butter.  Or boils fresh ginger root in milk?

We also dunk bread with butter in the coffee cup and some sandwiches. The taste combination is heavenly (for a Puerto Rican).

By the way, I love Malta, my wife can not even stand the smell of it. It is another PR acquired taste. I am not big on Peanut Butter but it makes sense.

Yes he is weird, because he is Puerto Rican, we grew up different than the mainlanders.

ReyP wrote:

We also dunk bread with butter in the coffee cup and some sandwiches. The taste combination is heavenly (for a Puerto Rican).

By the way, I love Malta, my wife can not even stand the smell of it. It is another PR acquired taste. I am not big on Peanut Butter but it makes sense.

Yes he is weird, because he is Puerto Rican, we grew up different than the mainlanders.

1/2 Malta and 1/2 milk!!! Ummm Ummm!!

adlin20 wrote:

ReyP wrote:

We also dunk bread with butter in the coffee cup and some sandwiches. The taste combination is heavenly (for a Puerto Rican).

By the way, I love Malta, my wife can not even stand the smell of it. It is another PR acquired taste. I am not big on Peanut Butter but it makes sense.

Yes he is weird, because he is Puerto Rican, we grew up different than the mainlanders.

1/2 Malta and 1/2 milk!!! Ummm Ummm!!

I rather have 1/2 Malta plus 1/2 Malta, don't drink milk other than in cheese and ice cream
I can use some "coqito" right now, it has been a long boring day at the office.

Hector wants to know if you guys had these foods growing up: 

1.  Malta with beaten egg yolk? 
2.  Marrota (corn cereal)?
3.  Horchata?

melendezki wrote:

Hector wants to know if you guys had these foods growing up: 

1.  Malta with beaten egg yolk? 
2.  Marrota (corn cereal)?
3.  Horchata?

Yup!!

melendezki wrote:

Hector wants to know if you guys had these foods growing up: 

1.  Malta with beaten egg yolk? 
2.  Marrota (corn cereal)?
3.  Horchata?

1. No, I had welch grape juice with egg yolk. My great grand mother also used to eat raw eggs and she lived until 103. I have a 5 generation picture. My son, me, my mother, grand mother and great grand mother
2  no but casabe yes
3 don't remember what horchata is
I remember a hot corn meal breakfast dish cooked with butter, milk and sugar

If I'm not mistaken horchata is made with rice water, very sweet. I think it's a mexican drink. We find it at the mexican restaurant

Never had it, no Mexicans in the family

I think the 3 of us should sit and have some good rum, play a hand or two of dominos and talk about the old times while we chew on some mollejas and some good cuajo

Yes, that would be fun.  Let us know when you're on the island!