Puerto Rican recipe

One of the secrets to many delicious Puerto Rican dishes is a Puerto Rican sauce called Recaito and a Cuban sauce called Sofrito. Recaito is one of the main bases to many traditional Puerto Rican and Latin meals, soups, stews – you name it. There are several different variations but today I’m going to tell you about my two favorites!

Traditional Recaito

This recipe makes one quart and only takes about 15 minutes to make.

2 Medium Green Peppers

2 Medium Spanish Onions

When I was growing up my Obuelita (Grandmother) would make Bacalaitos all the time. Because codfish is very fishy, this recipe helps eliminate some of the fishiness by turning it into a delicious codfish fritter. I wasn’t always a fan of fish or seafood but Bacalaitos was something I would never turn down.

Codfish fritters are really easy to make and are pretty tasty, too.

Ingredients

This soup/stew has been around for about 400 years. Being Puerto Rican, I was served this soup/stew many times at our table, especially in the colder months. My Obuelita (Grandmother) would always try to make this soup before cold and flu season came about, swearing it could ward off the illness. I have to say there was much truth in her words. Some people make Sancocho as a soup while others make it as a stew -- either way, it is delicious and I’d like to share the recipe with you.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef short ribs or beef tips