Today we're heading to sunny Cuba—an island where Spanish traditions mixed with African rhythms and Caribbean temperament. We're making three iconic dishes that Cubans pass down from generation to generation.
🐷 Lechón Asado
A legendary Cuban dish—pork shoulder marinated in citrus mojo and roasted to a golden crust with the tenderest meat inside. The aroma of garlic, oregano, and orange tang make this dish the centerpiece of any festive table.
Ingredients:
• Pork shoulder (bone-in) — 1.5 kg
• Orange juice (freshly squeezed) — 200 ml
• Lime juice (freshly squeezed) — 100 ml
• Garlic — 10 cloves
• Dried oregano — 2 tsp
• Ground cumin — 1 tsp
• Salt — 1.5 tbsp
• Freshly ground black pepper — 1 tsp
• Olive oil — 3 tbsp
• Yellow onion — 1 large
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the mojo marinade
Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife and chop finely. In a deep bowl, combine orange and lime juices, add garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour in olive oil and whisk vigorously until homogeneous—the marinade should become a light yellow emulsion with suspended spices.
Step 2. Preparing and marinating the meat
Rinse the shoulder with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, make deep cuts all over the meat surface (3-4 cm deep, 5 cm apart)—this allows the marinade to penetrate inside. Place the meat in a large zip-lock bag or deep dish, pour the marinade over, thoroughly rubbing it into the cuts. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight (12-24 hours), turning every 4-6 hours.
Step 3. Preparing for roasting
Remove the meat from the refrigerator an hour before cooking—it should warm to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Cut the onion into thick half-rings (1 cm thick). Spread the onion on the bottom of a roasting pan—it will create an aromatic cushion and prevent burning. Place the shoulder on top, skin side up, and pour the remaining marinade over.
Step 4. Slow roasting
Cover the pan with two layers of foil, pressing the edges tightly—the meat should braise in its own juices. Place in the oven on the middle rack and roast for 3 hours. Every 45-60 minutes, open the foil and baste the meat with juices from the bottom of the pan—the crust will start darkening and the meat will become tender.
Step 5. Creating the golden crust
After 3 hours, remove the foil and increase the temperature to 220°C. Roast another 30-40 minutes, basting with juices every 10 minutes. Doneness: the crust acquires a dark golden color with caramelized patches, the meat easily pulls away from the bone with a fork, and the internal temperature reaches 85-90°C.
Step 6. Resting and serving
Remove the meat from the oven, cover with foil, and let rest 15-20 minutes—the juices will redistribute. Slice into thick pieces (2-3 cm) across the grain or pull apart by hand into large chunks. Pour pan juices over, straining them through a sieve. Serve with boiled white rice, black beans, and fried plátanos (sweet plantains).
💡 Fact: In Cuba, lechón asado is traditionally made for Christmas and New Year, roasting a whole suckling pig in a special pit (caja china) over coals. Families gather together, and the cooking process becomes a multi-hour ritual.
🍲 Picadillo a la Habanera
A classic Cuban stew of ground beef with tomatoes, raisins, olives, and capers—a sweet-salty symphony of flavors in one pan. Quick, hearty dish that every Cuban family cooks.
Ingredients:
• Ground beef (15-20% fat) — 600 g
• Yellow onion — 1 large
• Green bell pepper — 1
• Garlic — 4 cloves
• Canned tomatoes in their juice — 400 g
• Tomato paste — 2 tbsp
• Golden raisins — 60 g
• Green olives (pitted) — 80 g
• Capers — 2 tbsp
• Bay leaves — 2
• Ground cumin — 1 tsp
• Dried oregano — 1 tsp
• Dry white wine — 100 ml
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — 0.5 tsp
• Olive oil — 2 tbsp
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the vegetables
Cut the onion into small dice (4-5 mm sides). Remove seeds from the bell pepper and dice the same size. Chop the garlic finely with a knife. Pour hot water over the raisins for 10 minutes, then drain in a sieve. Slice the olives into 3-4 mm thick rings.
Step 2. Browning the meat
Heat a wide deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spatula into small crumbles. Cook 5-7 minutes without stirring for the first 2-3 minutes—the meat should develop a brown crust. Stage doneness: meat is completely grayed, released liquid has evaporated, roasted meat aroma appears. Transfer the beef to a bowl.
Step 3. Sofrito—the aromatic base
In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and pepper, cook 5-6 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano, cook another minute—the vegetables should become soft and translucent, and the garlic should release an intense aroma without bitterness.
Step 4. Building the tomato base
Pour in the wine, increase heat, and let it reduce by half (1-2 minutes)—the alcohol will cook off, leaving acidity. Add the tomatoes with their juice, crushing them by hand or with a fork, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Stir and simmer 3-4 minutes—the sauce should thicken and acquire a rich red color.
Step 5. Final assembly
Return the beef to the skillet, add raisins, olives, capers (with brine—1 teaspoon), salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly, reduce heat to minimum. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Doneness: sauce has thickened to stew consistency (not watery), raisins are plump, all flavors have melded into a balanced sweet-salty profile.
Step 6. Serving
Remove the bay leaves. Taste and add salt if needed—capers and olives already provide saltiness. Serve hot on a bed of boiled white rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro or parsley. Traditionally accompanied by fried plátanos and black beans.
💡 Fact: Picadillo came to Cuba through Spanish settlers, but it was Cubans who added raisins and olives—this sweet-salty combination became the calling card of the Havana version and distinguishes it from the Spanish original.
🍮 Flan de Leche
Silky caramel flan—an iconic Cuban dessert with glossy texture and melting consistency. Caribbean-style crème brûlée: beneath a mirror layer of liquid caramel hides the most delicate baked egg custard made with condensed milk.
Ingredients:
For the caramel:
• White sugar — 200 g
• Water — 50 ml
For the custard:
• Large eggs — 5
• Sweetened condensed milk — 380 g (1 can)
• Whole milk — 400 ml
• Vanilla extract — 2 tsp
• Salt — pinch
Preparation:
Step 1. Caramel—the golden mirror
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and water. Place over medium heat and, without stirring (!), wait for the sugar to completely dissolve (3-4 minutes). Once the syrup boils and starts changing color, gently swirl the pan in circular motions for even caramelization. Cook 6-8 minutes until a rich amber-gold color (shade of aged cognac)—don't overcook or it will become bitter. Immediately pour the caramel into a round 20-22 cm diameter pan, quickly tilting the pan in all directions so the caramel coats the bottom and rises 2-3 cm up the sides. Work quickly—caramel sets in 2-3 minutes.
Step 2. Preparing the custard
Preheat the oven to 160°C. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk until smooth—don't whip into foam, you need a smooth liquid without bubbles. Add condensed milk, regular milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Gently mix with a whisk in circular bottom-to-top motions until completely homogeneous (2-3 minutes)—the mixture should be silky, ivory-colored.
Step 3. Straining—the secret to smoothness
Strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve into the pan with caramel—this removes chalazae (protein strands) and possible lumps. Strain slowly, gently pressing the contents with a silicone spatula. If bubbles appear on the surface, remove them with a spoon or blot with a paper towel—bubbles will ruin the mirror finish.
Step 4. Water bath—even braising
Place the custard pan in a deep baking dish. Boil water. Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack and only then carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish up to the middle of the flan pan (2-3 cm height). The water bath ensures gentle even heating without overheating the edges.
Step 5. Baking to a gentle tremble
Bake 50-60 minutes. Doneness is determined by the jiggle method: carefully shake the baking dish—the center of the flan (5-6 cm diameter) should barely wobble like jello, but not ripple in waves. The edges are fully set. If the center is liquid—bake another 5-10 minutes. Don't overbake—the flan will continue cooking from residual heat.
Step 6. Cooling and inversion
Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, take the pan out of the water bath. Let the flan cool at room temperature 40-50 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight—the flan must completely set. Before serving, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, separating the flan from the sides. Cover the pan with a flat serving plate, flip with one confident motion and shake gently—the flan will slide out and the caramel will spread into a golden glossy sauce.
Step 7. Serving
Cut the flan with a sharp knife into portions (dip the knife in hot water before each cut for perfectly clean edges). Serve chilled, generously drizzling with caramel sauce. Can be garnished with whipped cream or fresh berries.
💡 Fact: Flan came to Cuba from Spain during the colonial era, but Cubans made it richer by using condensed milk instead of regular—this invention emerged due to the island's hot climate, where fresh products spoiled quickly but canned goods kept long.