Sofrito Grilled Bread Recipes

SOFRITO: A BASE FOR MANY DISHES

Steps:

• In a sauce pot set on medium, cook the bacon in the olive oil for 30 seconds. Add red and yellow peppers, onions, and garlic, and saute until soft. Add the habanero, jalapeno, and saffron, cook for 1 minute. Add the sherry and cream if desired. Reduce by 1/4, cool and puree in a blender.

SOFRITO GRILLED BREAD

Steps:

• In a blender purée all ingredients except bread until smooth. In a small heavy saucepan simmer sofrito, stirring, 3 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Sofrito may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Prepare grill.
• If desired halve bread slices. Spread some sofrito on 1 side of each bread slice (reserving any remaining sofrito for another use) and grill, sofrito side down, on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, bread may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer sofrito bread as grilled with tongs to a bread basket.

BABY BACK RIBS WITH SOFRITO GLAZE

Steps:

• To make annatto oil: Place the annatto seeds in a dry pan and toast over medium heat. Keep shaking the pan and tossing the seeds until their aroma is released, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable oil and set aside. When cool, strain to remove seeds. Heat the annatto and olive oils in a large skillet. Add the onion, chile, garlic, red peppers, recao and cilantro. Saute over medium heat until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook two more minutes. Allow to cool, then transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and puree. Pour marinade into a large bowl and stir in vinegar. Add remaining marinade ingredients. Place the ribs in the marinade and allow to sit for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the ribs from the marinade and place them in a baking pan single layer (save marinade for basting). Add 1/4inch water to the pan, cover and bake for one hour. Uncover and bake for another hour, basting with the reserved marinade every 15 minutes.

PORTUGUESE SOFRITO BREAD (A B M)

Steps:

• Cut onions into ½-inch dice. Saute slowly in olive oil until translucent and barely golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Add all ingredients including the sautéed onions to your bread machine in the order recommended by its manufacturer, and select the bread cycle.

SOFRITO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine green peppers, red peppers ajies dulces, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Add cilantro, recao, salt, and pepper. Process to the consistency of semi-chunky salsa (not watery). Place in a resealable plastic freezer bag, and use as needed, or freeze in portions.

SOFRITO-MARINATED FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• In a shallow glass dish, stir together Garlic-Pepper Sauce, red-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil. Add flank steak; spoon some sauce mixture over steak. Cover, and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. Transfer steak to a broiler pan, spooning marinade over meat. Broil, without turning, 14 to 16 minutes for medium-rare (135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.