For Sandra Cardet, Cuban cooking is pretty much all about the sofrito.
Cardet, founder and co-owner with her son, Alex Guevara, of the Cuban restaurant Havana Grill, explained that “some people around the world call this the Holy Trinity, because it’s onions, peppers and garlic cooked in olive oil. And when you’re frying this up as the base of the dish, the aromas that come out of your kitchen are just fantastic. But the secret is to make a really good sofrito.”
Cardet has been cooking since she was a child in Cuba. Her parents saw the revolution coming in the ‘50s and left the island for New Jersey when she was 6. About seven months later, once they settled in, they sent for her and her younger brother. She spent most of her adult life as a contractor in the construction industry, but when she relocated to San Diego from Los Angeles to care for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, Cardet decided to launch a new career with a restaurant. She opened Havana Grill on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in 2016. Just last year, she and Guevara opened their second location in Mission Valley.
Cardet said that the difference between an OK sofrito and a really good one is caramelizing the onions. Along with the peppers, the onions are thickly sliced so they don’t just disappear into dishes, like in her Ropa Vieja or Fricasé de Pollo.
Sandra Cardet, founder and co-owner of Havana Grill, prepares Fricasé de Pollo at the Mission Valley location. An additional restaurant site is in Clairemont Mesa.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“I caramelize the onions completely in order for them to release their sweetness and sugar,” she added. “If you have onions that are caramelized, you have more depth and more complexity, instead of having a pure onion flavor that comes from raw or translucent onions.”
And the trick to getting caramelized onions, Cardet explained, is to get them in a pan with hot olive oil and let them be, instead of constantly stirring. Once they’re fully caramelized, you add sliced red and green bell peppers, and once they are cooked, add the garlic so it doesn’t burn.
Cardet also has a tip about the garlic: She mashes garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle.
With that in mind, Cardet launched into the first dish she was preparing: her Fricasé de Pollo, or Chicken Fricassée. It’s a hearty comfort food, with a deeply flavored, tomatoey sauce that makes it close to a stew. First, she made her sofrito in a braising pot with a lid. Then she added whole chicken legs and thighs — with the skin — that she had already seared until the skin was a lovely golden hue. What followed were salt and pepper, dry white wine, white vinegar, capers, olives, tomato sauce and a little Tabasco sauce. Then, she stirred to coat all the chicken pieces with the ingredients before covering the pot and letting the chicken cook for about 15 minutes — just until the chicken is almost cooked through. At that point, you add quartered red potatoes, cover the pot again and let it cook until the potatoes are easily pierced by a fork. Periodically stir the mixture so the sauce coats both the chicken and the potatoes.
Serve the chicken with steamed white jasmine rice. Cardet’s jasmine rice is made with one part rice and one part water, along with some salt and olive oil. Bring it to a boil, then cover it and let it simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cardet’s Ropa Vieja, or braised and shredded beef, is literally translated as “old clothes.” But it doesn’t deserve such a sad name. The dish is just as heartwarming as the chicken. It has a sweet flavor from the caramelized vegetables, but a bit of piquancy from the capers and green olives. Like the Fricasé de Pollo, it’s made with sofrito, but it gets a different start. Cardet begins with chuck steak cut into large pieces to braise in a Dutch oven or braising pot with mashed garlic, some beef base, oregano, black pepper, cumin, salt and water just to cover. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it for about 3 hours until the meat is so tender it falls apart (you could also speed it up with a pressure cooker).
Remove the meat from the pot and save the braising liquid to make the sauce. Then, Cardet said, use a couple of forks to shred the meat into strands. Since this is a rustic dish, the strands can be different thicknesses.
Here’s where the sofrito comes in. In a large and deep skillet or Dutch oven, prepare the sofrito, then add the shredded beef, along with bay leaves, tomato sauce, capers, green olives, salt and pepper, Michiu (a rice cooking wine) and the reserved braising liquid. Mix well, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. The new sauce will be beautiful on top of the jasmine rice. But the dish is also perfect with Cardet’s Congrís Rice, a classic Cuban side dish of rice and black beans mixed together. The beef is even better the day after, as the flavors meld together.
Roasted pork, out of the oven, at Havana Grill in Mission Valley.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
We made a special request of Cardet to share her Cubano Sandwich recipe. It’s pretty easy, of course, but if you’re going to do it right, you have to make your own pork roast. But it’s a bit silly to make it just for the sandwich.
“The thing with the roast is that it should first be served as a dinner entree, then the next day, what’s left can be made into sandwiches,” Cardet noted.
The roast starts out with lots of garlic — as in, entire cloves of garlic studded into the raw pork roast. It’s easy to do: Just pierce the meat with a sharp pointed knife and insert the clove. Then use twine to tie the roast into a compact round and place it into a bowl. Bathe it in a marinade of mashed garlic, orange and lime juices, salt, cumin, crushed oregano and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then roast the pork for a couple of hours and let it rest before serving. Refrigerate the leftover roast for sandwiches the next day.
Sandra Cardet, owner of Havana Grill, and chef Hector Hernandez prepare the sliced roasted pork, smoked ham, cheese and pickles for the Cubano Sandwich.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
For the sandwiches, you’ll want fresh Cuban bread. It’s shaped like a baguette and is crunchy on the outside with a beautiful soft interior, thanks to the addition of lard.
There’s a method to making a Cuban sandwich. You slice the bread horizontally and start with a thin spread of yellow mustard on the bottom piece. Add thin slices of the roast pork, followed by thin slices of smoked ham. Then lay six slices of dill pickle over the meat, followed by 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Cover with the top of the bread. If you have a panini press, slather the bottom with melted butter — otherwise, do the same on a hot grill pan or frying pan on the stove. Place the sandwich on the buttered pan, brush the top of the bread with more butter, then push down hard with the top of the press — or use a clean brick wrapped in foil as a weight. Cook until the meats are fully heated, the cheese melts — and, of course, the bread is crisp on both top and bottom. You want what Cardet calls “a crispy packet.”
Need dessert? Cardet also shared her traditional Cuban Arroz con Leche, or rice pudding, using CalRose white rice, a cinnamon and star anise infusion, vanilla, lemon zest, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, regular milk and, of course, raisins.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Fricasé de Pollo (Chicken Fricassée)
Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
5 pounds chicken, cut up, or whole legs and thighs with skin
1 cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, cut into thick slices
1 large green pepper, cut into thick slices
1 large red pepper, cut into thick slices
1½ tablespoons fresh garlic, mashed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1½ cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup green olives with pimento
½ cup canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
4 large red potatoes, quartered
DIRECTIONS
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
1: Rinse the chicken pieces, then dry with paper towels. Pour one half of the olive oil into a large skillet and sear the chicken in this oil until the skin is golden, but not dark. Remove from heat.
2: Make the sofrito by heating the remaining olive oil in large braising pot that will accommodate all the chicken. Heat to just below the smoke point. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions and cook until caramelized around the edges.
3: Add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring several times. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic.
4: Quickly add the chicken pieces, including all the bits at the bottom of the skillet. Add salt and pepper, the wine, vinegar, capers, olives and tomato sauce, together with the Tabasco sauce. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Stir to coat all the chicken with the sauce. Cover tightly and stew over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked through.
5: Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender but not soft, as they will continue to soften in the fricasé. Stir several times to coat the chicken and potatoes with the sauce.
6: Serve with plenty of steamy jasmine white rice, fried sweet plantains and a simple salad.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Ropa Vieja (Braised and Shredded Beef)
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds chuck steak cut into large chunks
8 garlic cloves, mashed
1 tablespoon beef base
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Water to just cover
½ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into thick slices
1 large green pepper, cut into thick slices
1 large red or yellow pepper, cut into thick slices
6 large garlic cloves, mashed
6 to 10 laurel (bay) leaves
½ cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons capers
¾ cup green olives
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Japanese cooking Michu (or a white wine that’s not too dry)
2 cups reserved braising liquid
2 teaspoons Kosher salt or to taste
DIRECTIONS
1: Place the beef, together with the following 6 ingredients into a heavy Dutch oven or braising pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for approximately 3 hours or until meat is pull-apart tender. (Alternatively, you may use a pressure cooker to save time)
2: When the meat is tender, remove it from the braising liquid and set it aside. Reserve this broth for the sauce. Using two forks and your hands, separate the fibers of the meat into strands of various thicknesses. No need for uniformity here. Set aside.
3: Make the sofrito by heating the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or braising pot. Add the sliced onions and caramelize for about 20 minutes over medium heat. Add the sliced peppers and mix together, cooking for about 3 minutes, then add the mashed garlic and cook for about another 3 minutes. Quickly add the rest of the ingredients and the shredded beef. Stir until mixed thoroughly, then cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, taking care that the peppers do not get too soft. Mixture should be soupy, with plenty of sauce.
4: Serve this with steamy white rice, fried sweet plantains, and a green salad. You can also enjoy it with black beans or congri plantains and salad — a Cuban rice and black beans dish.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Havana Grill’s Cubano Sandwich
Makes 1 serving
INGREDIENTS
3 to 4 pounds pork shoulder roast
10 to 15 garlic cloves
For the mojo marinade for the pork roast:
½ cup mashed garlic cloves
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon crushed oregano leaves
½ teaspoon black pepper
For each sandwich:
8-inch section of fresh Cuban bread or wide, soft, French roll if unavailable
Yellow mustard
4 ounces garlic-studded and marinated pork shoulder roast, cut into slices
4 ounces fine-quality smoked ham, sliced
About 6 dill pickle slices
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
DIRECTIONS
1: Make the roast: Prepare the roast one day before you plan on serving the sandwich by studding with whole garlic cloves. Pierce through the meat with a sharp, pointed knife and force a whole clove deep into the cavities.
2: Tie with kitchen twine to form a compact, easy-to-handle round. Place in a bowl and cover liberally with the mojo marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3: The next day, roast the pork at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Allow to rest until cool to allow for easier slicing.
4: Assemble the sandwich. Slice chilled pork roast into thin slices.
5: Slice the bread horizontally and brush lightly with yellow mustard on the bottom half of the bread.
6: Heat the meats on a hot griddle just until warmed through. Do not allow the ham to brown!
7: Lay the heated meats on the bread with the mustard. Place the six slices of dill pickles evenly over the meats. Top with the cheese. Place the top half of the bread on the cheese.
8: Brush the bottom of a panini press generously with butter and place the sandwich on the griddle. Brush the top of the bread liberally with more melted butter. Press down hard with the top of the panini press until the outside of the bread is crispy and the meats are heated through — about 3 or 4 minutes. Halfway through you can rotate the sandwich, brush with more butter and continue cooking heating and crisping. The cheese should be melted. Slice diagonally and serve immediately.
Note: Resist the temptation to add more mustard. Less is more here, as too much will overpower the subtle flavors of the meats, cheese and butter. Also, if you don’t have a panini press you may use a stovetop griddle and a clean brick covered with aluminum foil or a heavy iron pan to press down the sandwich to create the “crispy packet,” as we call it.
The pork roast will serve 6 to 10 persons. So, you may want to serve the roast hot out of the oven for dinner the evening before you plan on making the sandwiches.
(Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Makes 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the rice:
1 cup white rice (CalRose variety is best)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
For the infusion:
3½ cups water
3 to 4 sticks of whole cinnamon
5 pieces star anise
For the pudding:
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
The zest of 1 lemon, minced very fine or using a Microplane or lemon zester
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 cups milk
½ cup raisins
DIRECTIONS
1: Make the rice: Rinse the rice and place in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the 2 cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil. Stir, and place the lid on the pot. Reduce heat to its lowest setting and cook for exactly 15 minutes (set a timer). Turn off the heat and remove from burner but do not remove the lid! Allow to rest, undisturbed for about 10 minutes to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot.
2: While rice is steaming, make the infusion: Place the 3½ cups water in a saucepan. Add 3 or 4 sticks of cinnamon and about 5 pieces stars of anise (about 1 rounded tablespoon). Cover and simmer until the water is infused with the flavor of the spices, about 10 minutes. Do not allow the water to reduce due to steam loss. Strain out the spices and set the water aside. Add the vanilla extract and grated lemon zest to the infusion.
3: Add the infusion mixture, the three milks, and the raisins to the rice pot and stir thoroughly to break up the rice. Cook gently over low heat until the mixture begins to thicken, or about 10 minutes.
4: Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl or serving dish, or into individual cups, and place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
5: To serve, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and if you like, top with some whipped cream.
Recipes from Sandra Cardet of Havana Grill.
Golden is a San Diego freelance writer and food blogger..