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Boliche
Boliche: Cuban pot roast of beef stuffed with chorizo, braised with potatoes
Boliche is a Sunday and holiday centrepiece in Havana: an eye-of-round beef joint with a tunnel cut through the middle, stuffed with pork chorizo, then browned and braised slowly in tomato, onion, pepper, sour orange and dry white or red wine until it slices like butter. Potatoes go into the pot for the last hour to soak up the sauce. The wine is simmered for hours, though a little alcohol may remain; use extra stock with a spoon of vinegar for an alcohol-free version. The common mistake is rushing the braise, which leaves this lean cut tough, so keep the pot at a bare simmer. Chef's tip: chill the cooked roast in its sauce, then slice it cold and reheat the slices in the sauce; you get neat rounds with the chorizo in the centre.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 3 ½ lb beef eye of round joint
- 5 ½ oz cooking chorizo (pork)skin removed, in one length or two
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- ½ cup sour orange juiceor 80 ml orange juice with 40 ml lime juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp saltdivided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 1 green pepperchopped
- 14 oz tomato passata
- ¾ cup dry white wineor 200 ml beef stock plus 1 tbsp vinegar for alcohol-free
- 1 ¾ cups beef stock
- 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoespeeled, halved
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Push a long thin knife through the centre of 3 ½ lb beef eye of round joint from one end to the other, twisting to make a tunnel 3 cm wide. Push 5 ½ oz cooking chorizo (pork) into it.
10 minStep 2: Mix 6 garlic cloves, ½ cup sour orange juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, half the 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Rub it over and into the beef, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
10 minStep 3: Lift the beef from the marinade (keep the liquid) and pat dry. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides for 10 minutes. Lift out.
10 minStep 4: Lower the heat to medium, add 2 onions and 1 green pepper and cook for 8 minutes until soft. Stir in 14 oz tomato passata, ¾ cup dry white wine, the marinade, 1 ¾ cups beef stock, 2 bay leaves and the rest of 1 tsp salt and bring to a simmer.
10 minStep 5: Return the beef, cover and simmer very gently for 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes.
120 minStep 6: Add 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoes around the beef, cover and cook for 45 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and a skewer slides into the beef with little resistance. The chorizo in the centre must be steaming hot, at least 160°F.
45 minStep 7: Rest the beef for 15 minutes, then slice 1 cm thick. Boil the sauce for a few minutes if thin and serve over the slices with the potatoes.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boliche take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sour orange juice?
- Mandarin or pineapple juice, same amount.
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