A little Cuba

A little Cuba

I mentioned last week we have been ordering and enjoying meat from Niku Farms. They sell pasture grain fed meats that are raised locally.

I have been trying new cuts of beef I haven’t had before such as skirt steak. It is a lot like flank steak in texture, so it needs marinating or braising to relax the fibres. The day I made this was rainy and cold, so I found a dish to warm body and soul. Cuban fare is a mix of Spanish, African and Caribbean flavours. The influence of the sunny south are abundant in this recipe with the peppers and seasonings which you can vary to suit your tastes.  
This recipe can be made in a crockpot on low for 8 hours. I chose the oven as I made this dish in the afternoon. I served over rice but I’m sure beans or potatoes would work well here too.

Hoping this dish will transport you back to past and hopefully future warm sunny vacations.

Cheers!

Slow Braised Cuban Skirt Steak

·        2 pounds skirt steak trimmed of fat

·        1 cup beef broth

·        1 large onion chopped

·        1 yellow pepper chopped

·        1 carrot chopped

·        4 minced garlic cloves

·   1 tablespoon each smoked paprika, cumin and oregano

·        1 tsp red pepper flakes

·        Salt and pepper to taste

·        Lime juice to drizzle over

·        Oil

Preheat oven to 350F

In an oven proof dutch oven add a good glug of oil and heat.

Add the steaks and brown on both sides.

Transfer to a plate and set side.

Add the vegetables and sauté until starting to soften.

Add the spices and then pour in the broth.

Deglaze the pan by scraping any bits on the bottom.

Add back the steak and any juices, cover and place in the oven.

Cook until meat is falling apart about 2 to 3 hours.

Shred the meat with two forks or slice against the grain and serve with the sauce over hot rice. Drizzle lime juice over top.

Wine suggestion: Tempranillo  

Some change for the better

These are crazy times.

Covid 19 has impacted pretty much everyone and everything on the planet, including how we work, play, shop and eat.
I have asthma and the thought of getting this virus has me pretty freaked out. I have pretty much gone to buying everything exclusively online and as a result have discovered some local businesses I didn't know existed. I will be continuing to buy from them when this all over.
Now it is more important than ever to shop local and support London and Ontario so these places can stay in business.
First up is wine cider and beer. I have no desire to stand in line at the local LCBO. I searched for places online that deliver straight to your home and not the post office . First place we ordered from is Shiny Apple/Small Talk Vineyards. They delivered a case of 24 cider and 2 bottles of wine within  a week to the doorstep. I love their 2017-Burning-Ambition-Gewurztraminer-Riesling! Will be reordering soon for sure!
Next up the well known Peller Estates. Again straight to the door within a week. They carry Wayne Gretzky wines, beers and whiskey. His 99 Lager tastes just like Stella Artois! I'm now a big fan!
Flour has become a hot commodity around the country as everyone has begun baking bread.
I came across this little local company called On the move organics. This  company runs out of London Ontario's old east village  . You can get pretty much everything from them from vegetables and fruit to flour. They sell meat,  dairy and London brewing beers as well. I sourced some local flour from Arva Flour Mill through them as well as some beautiful huge heads of garlic. We are now huge fans of this bread recipe. I may never buy bread again! Thankyou Michael Smith!

Finally I found this subscription based meat company called Niku Farms. They deliver a custom built box of meat to your door once a month. They offer grass fed organic bison, beef, chicken, lamb and pork. We have had the duck breast, brisket and skirt steak so far and was amazing! I plan on posting recipes shortly.
The meat is far beyond the quality of grocery store meat and all comes from local farms in the area.

I'm continuing to find more and more local businesses that deliver. Don't forget to support your local restaurants and order takeout for a break from the kitchen too!

In every bad situation we have to find some good and for me finding these little gems has hepled make a bad situation a bit better.

Stay Safe 😷

Cheers!