Baho
(Nicaraguan beef, plantains and yuca steamed in banana leaves)
Baho, or vaho, is one of the cornerstones of Nicaraguan cuisine. Beef, plantains and yuca (cassava) are wrapped in banana leaves and steamed over water in a large pot. Baho is food for a Sunday afternoon. Start the recipe on Saturday by marinating the meat. Vaho means "mist" in Spanish and evokes the unique cooking method for this hearty meal.
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Beef brisket, cut into large strips -- 4 pounds
Tomatoes, seeded and chopped -- 3
Green peppers, seeded and thinly sliced -- 2
Onions, thinly sliced -- 3
Garlic, chopped -- 8 to 10 cloves
Orange juice -- 1 cup
Lime juice -- 1 cup
Salt -- 4 tablespoons
Green plantains, peeled and halved crosswise -- 4
Ripe plantains or bananas, peeled and halved crosswise -- 4
Yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into large pieces -- 2 pounds
Banana leaves
Repollo cabbage slaw -- 1 recipe
Method
1. In a large non-reactive bowl, mix the beef with the tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, orange juice, lime juice and salt. Cover, refrigerate and marinate overnight.
2. Add about 4 inches of water to a tamalera or large (5-gallon) pot. (You may have to use two pots if you don't have one big enough to hold the baho in one batch.) Place a rack in the bottom of the pot, or toss in enough wadded up aluminum foil to hold the ingredients out of the water. Place a plate on top of the rack or aluminum foil.
3. Line the plate and the sides of the pot with banana leaves, letting the leaves hang over the edge of the pot. Make sure the pot is fully lined with leaves, with no openings.
4. Lay the green and ripe plantains on the bed of banana leaves. Remove the meat from its marinade and layer it over the plantains. Top the beef with a layer of yuca. Finally, pour the meat marinade and vegetables over the yuca.
5. Take the banana leaves hanging over the edge of the pot and fold them over to completely cover the ingredients in the pot. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
6. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high flame. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 4 hours. Add a water as necessary to keep it from all evaporating.
7. Baho is traditionally served on a banana leaf. Each diner gets a piece of ripe plantain, a piece of green plantain, a piece of cassava and a portion of meat. This is all topped with a healthy portion of repollo cabbage slaw.
Variations
• In Nicaragua, the meat is often salted and left out in the hot sun to cure for a few hours. Marinating it overnight in the refrigerator is probably safer. You can also used corned beef if you like. Great flavor!
• Use sour orange juice instead of the orange and lime juice if you can find it. If you use bottled sour orange juice, you may have to add a bit of vinegar to make it tart enough
• Banana leaves can be found frozen in most Latin or Asian markets. If you can find them, use aluminum foil instead. You'll be missing out on the flavor the banana leaves give to the dish though.
Gallo Pinto
(Costa Rican, Nicaraguan red beans and rice)
If there is one meal that everyone in Nicaragua and Costa Rica eats, it's gallo pinto. This hearty, healthy and filling dish is your basic rice and beans. The beans in this case are red, and the color of the beans on the rice gives gallo pinto, or "painted rooster," its name. Costa Ricans especially are fond of serving gallo pintowith scrambled eggs for breakfast.
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
Onion, finely chopped -- 1
Bell pepper, finely chopped -- 1
Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
Cooked red (kidney) beans, drained, liquid reserved -- 2 cups
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Hot cooked rice -- 2 cups
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high flame. Add the onions, bell pepper and garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. Stir in the drained beans, some of their reserved liquid, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until heated through.
3. Add the rice and stir into the beans and heat through. Adjust seasoning and add a little more bean liquid if necessary. Serve hot.
Variations
• Casamiento (Salvadoran black beans and rice): Use black beans instead of red beans.
• Nicaraguans on the Caribbean coast use coconut oil instead of regular vegetable oil.
• Stir in some chopped cilantro.
• Add a few dashes of bottled pepper sauce or Worcerstershire sauce for added flavor.
Gallo Pinto
Gallo Pinto is Nicaragua's most popular dish, eaten at any time of the day.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lrg onions – thinly sliced
2 cups cooked red beans
¼ cup water
1 cup cooked white rice
Beans: cook 1 cup of dry red beans with 6 crushed cloves of garlic and water in a pressure cooker for 15 to 20 minutes. Sauté the onion in a pot. Add in the cooked beans and water. Cook for 5 minutes at a low heat whilst stirring. The beans must remain whole. Now add the cooked rice and simmer for a further 10 minutes, still stirring.
Maduros
A tasty banana dessert.
4 maduros (sweet bananas) peeled
3 cups milk
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Place maduros and milk in a bowl and boil until tender. Add the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, boiling for another 5 minutes. Place it in a dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F.
