Dominican Republic

Bandera Nacional

Bandera nacional means national flag in Spanish.  This dish is an homage to the flag.  It is composed of four parts: fried plaintains, red beans, rice and goat.  Each part is served separately on the plate so that it looks like the flag:

I made this on Friday, June 8.  Andy, Jerry and Jay enjoyed it with me.  I had never eaten nor cooked goat.  We all thought it was delicious!  It tastes like a mix between beef and lamb.  I will definitely be making it again, and not just because I had to buy a whole leg, so I have like two extra pounds of the stuff.


I got the recipe from this website, where I also learned a little bit about goats from the Dominican Republic.  Because goats in the Dominican Republic graze on fresh oregano, their meat contains a slight oregano flavor [you are what you eat! (NERD ALERT)].  Since the goat I bought probably wasn't afforded the same luxury of fresh herbs, I followed the website's instructions and marinated the goat overnight.  The result was delicious.  I couldn't believe how tender the goat was; it was fork-tender like beef brisket.  

Everything about this meal was good. I think the caramelizing of the onions in the red bean recipe added a nice depth of flavor.  We'll be eating the leftovers of those tonight!  There was no leftover plaintains or rice, and probably only about a cup of the guisado.  I think it's safe to say we enjoyed this one.


BANDERA NACIONAL



I just cooked the rice according to package directions.  A Dominican delicacy is the concon, the crispy part that sticks to the pot.  My rice didn't have that.



Plantains

Ingredients:
-2 plaintains, sliced
-butter
-salt


Directions:
1) Pan-fry in melted butter, lightly salt them and allow to dry on newspapers.




Red beans

Ingredients:
-2-3 c. red kidney beans
-1 red onion, finely chopped
-3 cloves garlic
-1/2 tsp. ground coriander
-2 T. tomato paste
-2 c. chicken stock
-salt and pepper


Directions:
1)mSoak the beans overnight or, like I did, do a quick soak: cover the beans with water in a large pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for two minutes, cover, and set aside, removed from heat, for one hour.
 
2)Start by caramelizing the onions over medium heat in a little oil.


3) Add garlic and coriander and saute for a couple minutes before adding other ingredients. Stew beans for 20-25 minutes; use a potato masher to turn parts of them into a paste while they're simmering. Keep them simmering until they reach a nice creamy consistency. 




"Guisade": the stewed meat

Ingredients:
-3 pounds of goat, cut into cubes
-3 roughly chopped onions
-6 cloves of garlic
-4 tomatoes roughly chopped
-2 bell peppers julienned
-2 cups beef stock
-Coriander, salt and pepper to taste


Marinade:
-3 tablespoons oil
-3 tablespoons lime juice
-Finely chopped onion
-3 teaspoons oregano
-Salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Rub the meat with the marinade, place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight.

2) Saute meat in hot oil until seared on all sides.

3) Add onions, garlic, tomatoes and peppers and saute for five minutes.

4) Add beef stock and allow to simmer for a couple hours. Season and adjust liquid as needed.

Serve in separate quadrants of the plate, to resemble the Dominican flag.