ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Today we learn about Puerto Rican food. Specifically, Masitas de Cerdo - along with rice and beans and a little bit of ajili mojili sauce at Wepa Cocina de Puerto Rico in St. Petersburg.
Wepa offers a taste of home for Puerto Ricans and chance to fall in love with the island’s food for everyone else.
Chef Berto Hernandez cooks up Masitas de Cerdo for the Chef’s Kitchen.
That's pork butt!
Here's a closer look:
Masitas de Cerdo Frita / Fried Pork
Ingredients: 2 lbs. for Pork Butt, clean and remove all skin and fibers.
Seasoning:
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. salt per pound of meat
3 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. dry oregano
1-1/2 tbsp. olive oil
Cooking Method:
• Clean the meat and cut into chunks of about 1" - 1-1/2" square.
• Pound each piece to tenderize it.
• Grind all ingredients in the seasoning and cover the meat with the seasoning.
• Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cooking.
• Remove from the refrigerator and place in a metal shallow pan and roast at low heat for 30 minutes or until the you see the juice dripping from the meat unto the pan.
• Bring frying oil to about 250-300 degrees F.
• Dip meat chunks and fry for about 3 minutes or until they reach a dark golden color.
• Remove from the frying oil and let it rest on paper towels for a few minutes to capture the excess oil.
You can serve with onions over the meat or a plain. Goes well with a ajilimojili sauce and rice & beans.