Super Bowl Recipe Ideas

Super Bowl Recipe Ideas

These offerings, from the repertoire of recipes Chef Ronaldo Linares creates at Martino’s Cuban Restaurant in Somerville, N.J.,  are great to serve patrons looking for creative dishes to nosh on at your restaurant’s Super Bowl celebration (or any time, for that matter). The Tocineta Guacamole with tomatillos, poblano peppers, and applewood smoked bacon is a great twist on a classic favorite, and his Cuban-inspired Picadillo with with peppers, raisins, and Spanish olives in a red wine reduction is a new take on Sloppy Joes that can be used in sandwiches, nachos, as even as a taco filling.

Tocineta “Bacon” Chunky Guacamole

Makes 6 to 8 cups

6 ripe avocados (medium dice)

6 tomatillos (husk removed, medium dice)

1 large Spanish onion, (diced)

1 bunch cilantro leaves (cleaned and chopped)

2 poblano peppers (diced)

Juice from 4 small lemons (about 8 T.)

1 tsp. lemon zest

Kosher salt (to taste)

2 tsp. fennel seed

Cracked black pepper (to taste)

½ lb. Apple Wood Smoked Bacon (diced)

In a large bowl place the pit of the avocado, avocados, tomatillos, onion, cilantro, poblano pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, fennel seed and fold all ingredients together gently. Preheat iron skillet, add bacon, cook on high heat for five minutes than turn to medium heat and cook till crisp. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to remove any excess fat. Save 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.

Once the bacon has cooled, add it to the guacamole along with the 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Fold in gently and season guacamole.

Cuban-Inspired Picadillo (Ground Beef)

Makes 2 to 4 servings

1 lb. of ground beef (90/10)

½ medium white onion (diced)

½ roasted red pepper (diced)

½ green pepper (diced)

2 oz. of Spanish olives (diced)

3 T. raisins (chopped)

1 T. smoked Spanish paprika

½ t. cumin

Kosher salt (to taste)

Ground black pepper (to taste)

4 oz. of red burgundy wine

1 T. oregano

6 oz.  crushed tomatoes

1 c. chicken stock

1 T. tomato paste

Olive oil

Preheat large skillet. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add meat. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika, 1 tablespoon oregano and stir until ground beef is cooked through. Set aside, skim off the fat that rises to the top. 

In a large sauté pan add olive oil, onions, roasted red pepper, green pepper, Spanish olives, and raisins. Once sofrito is translucent add the tomato paste and sauté for 5 minutes, add red wine, reduce for 5 minutes then turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes. Transfer your sofrito to the skillet, return to heat, and set to low-medium. Add your crushed tomatoes and chicken stock to the picadillo, simmer for an additional 20 minutes until all the flavors have married and serve.

Ronaldo’s tip: Remember to season every time you add a new ingredient to your dish, this way the spices have time to develop.