On Christmas Eve, traditional flavors are intertwined with the essence of the celebration.
“In order to start the rumba you have to start with the pig,” says Laura.
On this special occasion, for Cubans, traditional dishes such as pernil, yuca with mojo, congrí, ropa Vieja with rice and beans, become the protagonists of the night, presented in a banquet full of history and tradition. .
Reminding us of the importance of preserving and sharing these delicacies generation after generation.
“Normally, when people try typical dishes like suckling pig and ropa Vieja, what they do is go back to their roots. We Hispanics, food is very important and having that flavor of our land is everything at Christmas dinner, especially.” ”Laura adds.
To take a culinary journey that transcends the palate, we entered the kitchen of the Amor Cubano restaurant, in East Harlem, to see the preparation of these dishes that cannot be missing on a Christmas table.
“That is the mixture with beer, cumin, oregano, Laurel, garlic, salt, mojo criollo, and sour orange, what the mixture is made to be able to marinate the pork”
Covered and bathed in seasoning, this leg is marinated for a day.
This is constantly repeated during the Christmas holidays, as many residents here in East Harlem buy it ready-made during these holidays.
“Basically we can make between 50 and 60 complete perniles during the holiday season plus what we serve for our daily dinner.”
The old clothes, with their threads of shredded meat add an extra dimension to the table.
“With green peppers, red peppers, onion and tomato sauce.”
They serve it with white rice and black beans.
And here you can’t miss the congrí, a mixture of rice, beans, bacon and cassava, faithful companions to the pernil.
“If it doesn’t suit you with this little color, it’s not the pig.”
But for these celebrations, in addition to food, there is another element that connects and complements, bringing memories and longings.
“The other big connection is music, traditional music, that music that one hears says the holidays have arrived, it’s Christmas.”
“And you come in here and you feel Christmas, listen to the music.”
2023-12-12 16:00:00
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