La Frita Cubana
Entre Panes: Between Cuban Bread
Tuesday at six p.m., the cast-iron skillet smokes and the spiced beef hisses, a far cry from a meatloaf padded with milk and bread—a crime perpetuated by too many internet blogs. We mimic the heavily smoked, paprika-stained lard scraped from old Spanish sausage tins with ground beef, a hit of cured chorizo, and grated onion pulverized right into the meat. Smashed flat, deglazed with a sharp, tangy sauce, and buried under an absurd mountain of crispy supermarket potato sticks, dinner comes together in under thirty minutes. Press the top bun down hard, grab a handful of napkins, and lean over the plate.
Before you start
Resting the meat matrix.
You can mix and shape the meatballs in the morning; resting them in the fridge all day actually improves the flavor and firms up the fat before hitting the hot pan.
Ingredients
- 80/20 ground beef1 lb
- cured Spanish chorizo3 oz
- yellow onion1/2 med
- garlic2 small
- sweet smoked Spanish paprika2 1/2 tsp
- ground cumin1 tsp
- dried oregano1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- ketchup1/2 cup
- white vinegar1 tbsp
- yellow mustard1 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- soft hamburger buns4 large
- canned shoestring potatoes2 cup
- white onion1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Mix the meat and spices.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, minced chorizo, grated onion pulp and its juices, mashed garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- 02
Knead the mixture aggressively.
Using your hands, knead the meat for 1 to 2 minutes until it binds together into a dense, sausage-like texture, then form into 4 equal-sized meatballs.
- 03
Whisk together the secret sauce.
In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, white vinegar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and neutral oil until completely smooth.
- 04
Smash the patties in a hot skillet.
Heat a large dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, place the meatballs in the pan, and use a heavy spatula to firmly smash them down to a quarter-inch thickness with ragged edges.
- 05
Sear, flip, and glaze with sauce.
Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until a dark, caramelized crust forms, then flip the patties and immediately spoon a generous tablespoon of the sauce directly onto the cooked side to let it caramelize for 1 to 2 minutes.
- 06
Assemble the fritas.
Place the sauced patty on the bottom bun, top immediately with a sprinkle of raw diced onions, an overflowing handful of shoestring potatoes, and the top bun.
Notes
Substituting the chorizo.
If you can't find cured Spanish chorizo, omit it and add 1 extra tablespoon of smoked paprika bloomed in 1 tablespoon of melted bacon fat or oil to mimic the historic flavor of the frita cart.
Embrace the canned potato sticks.
Skipping the deep fryer on a Tuesday isn't a compromise, it's a valid Miami diaspora tradition. Canned shoestring potatoes provide the exact structural snap required without the mess.
From Cook Cuban in America.