Recipe

Pulpeta or Carne Fría

Name: Pulpeta or Carne Fría
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 250 g ground beef; 250 g ground pork; 2 small onions; 4 cloves garlic; 4 eggs; 2 sweet red ajíes; 3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese; 1 cup wheat flour; 1 cup tomato sauce; Salt, to taste; Oregano, to taste; Cumin, to taste; Pepper, to taste; 1 teaspoon sugar (optional); Oil, a little for browning

Cuban pulpeta or carne fría: a beef and pork meatloaf stuffed with hard-boiled egg and ají with cheese, browned and finished in tomato sauce.

CiberCubaMay 4, 2007

CiberCuba

Preparation40 min
Cooking50 min
Total time1 h 30 min
Servings6 servings (2 rolls)
DifficultyMedium

Pulpeta, also known in Cuba as carne fría or salpicón, is a ground meat roll, almost always mixed, that is stuffed with hard-boiled eggs or vegetables so that, when sliced, it reveals perfect wheels with curious designs in the center.

This version combines beef and pork. It can be eaten hot as a main dish or cold, for an afternoon snack or a light lunch. Although the recipe seems long, it is very easy to make.

Method

The mixture

Boil 3 eggs without overcooking them, because they will receive more heat inside the meat later. Peel and set aside.
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Mix the meats with oregano, cumin, pepper and salt to your taste. If you like, add the teaspoon of sugar. Do not add liquids: the idea is to obtain a compact mixture.
Chop the onion in brunoise, as well as one of the ajíes, and crush the garlic well. Add them to the meat along with the raw egg and ½ cup flour.
Mix well until the mixture detaches from the sides of the container.

Assembling the rolls

Place half of the mixture on aluminum foil or plastic wrap and spread it forming a rectangle. Place the 3 reserved hard-boiled eggs in the center.
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Cover the eggs by folding first one side of the rectangle and then the other, until forming a roll. Cover the ends with meat so the filling does not come out.
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For the second roll, stuff the other ají with mozzarella cheese and place it in the center of the other half of the mixture. Roll it up and close the ends in the same way.
Roll the rolls in the remaining flour to seal and dry their walls. Handle them delicately so they do not break.

Cooking

Place the rolls in a pot with very little oil over medium heat and let them brown slowly, turning them every 3 minutes so they cook on all sides.
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Pot option: when well browned, add the tomato sauce to the pot and cook for about 20 more minutes, turning them frequently so they receive the heat evenly.
Oven option: transfer the browned rolls to a baking sheet, cover with tomato sauce and bake at 180 °C (350 °F), with the oven preheated, for about 20 minutes.
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Serve the rolls on a platter cut into wheels, so the shapes of the filling can be seen. Eat it hot as a main dish or cold for an afternoon snack or a light lunch.
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Tips and variations

Other fillings: you can use any food you like, provided it is previously cooked or easy to cook with little heat: pitted or stuffed olives, a whole boiled carrot, hard-boiled eggs, etc. Do not place the cheese directly on the meat, because as it melts it may break the roll; that is why here it goes inside the ají.

Compact mixture: avoid adding juices, wines, sauces or ingredients that release liquid, such as tomato. A teaspoon of sugar in the mixture gives it a mild flavor and makes it more appetizing.

Pot or oven: finishing it in the pot with the sauce yields a juicier and more colorful dish; in the oven you save time for other preparations, although it remains without extra sauce. This method is faster than the traditional one, but requires that each step be done well and that you handle the roll delicately.

Traditional method: another classic way is to press the meat in a cloth, seal the edges and cook it submerged in boiling water for approximately an hour and a half.

There is also fish pulpeta. It is delicious in wheels, accompanied by stuffed tostones and white rice.