Casado de Res Encebollado
(Photo stolen from the internet...I'll replace it as soon as I make this dish :D)
One of my favorite Costa Rican dishes is called a casado, which means a married man, and it is a very standard everyday lunch fare. I have heard two explanations for this name; the first is that it's what working (married men) have for lunch every day. The second is that just like for married men at night, you get the same thing every day.
There are lots of different things you can put on the plate but the standards are rice, beans, some sort of salad, and usually some meat. I also love to put fried fresh cheese and bananas or plantains. I hardly ever make all of this at once, but it's a nice meal if it is.
Rice
I usually try to imitate the fairly dry rice that Costa Rican's make - putting in a little less water and making sure to rinse the rice beforehand.
When it's done, toss in some salt and a little bit of finely chopped red pepper and cilantro.
Beans
You can use black beans or red beans. Both are used in Costa Rica but red beans reign in Nicaragua. Cut up a little bit of onion and sauté before adding the beans. If you can get ahold of some Salsa Lizano add some of that for a very authentic Costa Rican taste.
Beef and Onion (Carne de Res Encebollado)
Cook the beef in a frying pan with some oil, salt and pepper. Cut large rings of onion and cut them in half (into crescents) and add those in (thus the "encebollado").
Plátanos Maduros o Banano Frito (Fried Ripe Plantain or Banana) and Fried Fresh Cheese
If you haven't yet tried this you definitely should! Cut the banana or ripe (yellow, not green, although there are other fun things to do with that) plantain into diagonal pieces about a quarter inch thick (like you would for your cereal). Don't make them super thin because then they will fall apart.
I haven't really found an equivalent for the fresh white cheese that my host mom uses but you can use halumi or some Mexican queso frescos or queso blancos. Cut quarter inch slices.
Heat an oil such as sunflower or canola in a frying pan over high heat, and once it is hot add the cheese slices and banana or plantain. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top of the banana/plantain. My 11 year-old brother who is an expert at these claims it brings out the sweetness and I agree.
Once the bananas/plantains are caramelized on the bottom, flip over. The cheese should also start to brown and smell delicious before flipping. Cook that side and then take them off of the heat.
The bananas/plantains are delicious with natilla which is like supper fatty thick delicious sour cream, but they're probably ok with sour cream too if you can't find natilla.
Cabbage Salad
This salad comes on the side of EVERYTHING in Costa Rica. It's great with patacones or taquitos.
Cut the cabbage in half and cut extremely thin slices down the exposed side of one half. This should create very fine strips. Toss with lime juice, a pinch of salt, and finely chopped tomato and cilantro.
Alternatives
Sometimes this is served with tuna noodle salad on the side. I don't like canned tuna personally, but if you do, knock yourself out.
I frequently make res encebollado with gallo pinto and scrambled eggs:
Beans to rice (as prepared above) in a frying pan with olive oil and onions until the ratio looks about even. Spoon some of the dark bean juice into the mixture to give it a nice color. Make scrambled eggs to eat on the side or mixed in. I also like to eat this with hot sauce.
Now you just need an Impereal. Enjoy!
Gracias!
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