Beef With Guajillo Sauce Baked In Banana Leaves Mixiote De Car Recipes

BEEF WITH GUAJILLO SAUCE BAKED IN BANANA LEAVES - MIXIOTE DE CAR

Steps:

• Fill a 2-quart saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, slit chiles lengthwise, then stem, seed, and devein.
• Add chiles to boiling water and remove from heat. Let stand, uncovered, until chiles are softened and have turned a brighter red, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast annatto and cumin seeds in a dry small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then grind seeds to a powder in a grinder or mini food processor.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, then add 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid, ground seeds, garlic, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Blend until smooth, at least 2 minutes. Pour sauce into a large (3 to 4 -quart)shallow container and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle meat with 2 teaspoons salt, then add to sauce and turn meat to coat using tongs or your hands (wear protective gloves to prevent staining). Marinate meat, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Holding both ends of a banana leaf, drag leaf slowly over a burner on medium-high heat until it changes color slightly and becomes shinier. Repeat on other side of leaf, then toast remaining banana leaves.
• Cut off tough edges from banana leaves with kitchen shears, then cut 8 (11-inch square) pieces from leaves, discarding remainder. Put each leaf on a 12-inch-square piece of foil, then arrange 2 pieces of meat and some sauce in center of each leaf, using all of sauce, and top each mound with a bay leaf (or if using California leaves, with half a bay leaf). Fold in all 4 sides of each banana leaf to enclose meat, then wrap tightly in foil. Arrange packages, seam sides up, in 1 layer in a large roasting pan and add just enough water to measure 1/8 inch in bottom of pan (about 2 cups).
• Bake adding more water as necessary to prevent pan from becoming dry, until meat is tender and falling off the bone (open 1 package to test), about 3 1/2 hours for beef or 2 1/2 hours for lamb.
• Discard foil and bay leaves and serve meat in banana leaves if desired (do not eat banana leaves).

BAHO (BEEF, PLANTAINS AND YUCA STEAMED IN BANANA LEAVES)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Bring the water to a boil over medium-high flame. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 4 hours.
• Add water as necessary to keep it from all evaporating.
• 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.
• Banana leaves can be found frozen in most Latin or Asian markets. If you can't find them, use aluminum foil instead. You'll be missing out on the flavor the banana leaves give to the dish though.