Super Bowl Cuban Style: Game's setting naturally calls for Latin-fueled menu

Chef Joe Monteiro cooked and ate a lot of different styles of food in his eight years in Miami. But when he started thinking of recipes for a Super Bowl party, one style stood out.

"When you think of Miami, you think Cuban," he said.

At Super Bowl XLIV this Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints will play at Sun Life Stadium in Opa Locka, Fla., just outside Miami.

Monteiro moved to Winston-Salem in September to become the executive chef and a part owner of the Ombu Wood Fired Fusion restaurant, off Hanes Mall Boulevard.

Though just 39, Monteiro has traveled all over the country during his career, including stops in Atlanta, Dallas and Detroit.

His longest stay in one city, though, was Miami, where he lived from 1999 to 2007.

Miami, he said, is a big mix of cultures. And a big chunk of transplanted Northerners creates a competitive, diverse restaurant scene. "They expect a lot. They'll

compare you to New York restaurants," he said.

South Florida actually has lots of Latin cultures, Monteiro said. "Miami is so mixed. It's also got Colombian, Brazilian, Venezuelan. And then a lot of Cubans marry Venezuelans, and so forth.

"But of all the cultures, the dominant one is definitely Cuban."

For a casual party, Cuban food is a great choice. "For me, it's traditional comfort food. Cuban food is very simple."

To start a Super Bowl party, he suggested empanadas, which he learned to make from a Cuban immigrant in Miami.

"I had a lady once who lived right behind my restaurant and ate there three or four times a week," he said. "One day she brought me these empanadas, and I ended up putting them on the menu. She came in and taught me and my people how to make them."

He loves empanadas for their crisp exterior and hot, gooey filling, which has chicken, olives and cheese.

Cubans also love beef, and Monteiro suggested both a simple marinated steak that's smothered in onions and a dish of short ribs cooked long and slow in red wine and tomatoes.

"I'm a short-ribs freak. They're one of my favorite things in the world," he said. The succulence of the meat, braised in a flavorful liquid until fork tender is hard to resist, he said.

Monteiro was born in Brazil to an Italian mother and Portuguese father. He grew up learning how to cook Italian food from his mother.

He moved to New Jersey at age 14 and soon found himself working in restaurants. "After school I was really bored and wanted to make some money, so I started washing dishes, and I haven't been out of the kitchen since."

He quickly moved up. "I was a sous chef at 18 when I finished high school," he said.

Though he never got a formal culinary education, his skills led him to better and better jobs in different cities.

In 1998, he ended up back in New Jersey with a job that any football fan would love: the executive chef at the Meadowlands, the complex that includes Giants Stadium.

"That was a lot of fun because you dealt with casual, fine dining and fast food at once," Monteiro said. "I used to go to work at midnight Saturday for a 1 p.m. (Sunday) game. I used to leave the stadium by halftime if I wasn't sitting in one of the boxes and watching the rest of the game. If the Giants were playing, I'd sit in the Giants' box. If the Jets were playing, I'd sit in the Jets' box."

At the Meadowlands, he cooked for such celebrities as singer Bruce Springsteen and soccer great Pele, as well as such football stars as Lawrence Taylor. "A lot of players would come in the kitchen and say, ‘I'm on a restricted diet.' But those boys can eat."

Despite his experience at the Meadowlands, Monteiro is neither a Jets nor a Giants fan. "I'm a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan. Don't make fun of me. I don't know how it happened. My mom must have dropped me on my head," he said, laughing.

Monteiro said he has met both the Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning and the Saints' running back Reggie Bush in one of his Miami restaurants. For the Super Bowl, he is leaning toward the Saints.

"I think I'd like New Orleans to win just because of all the city has been through."

Cuban Pollo Empanadas

Monteiro said to pull the chicken and not dice it because the pulled, shredded chicken has a much better texture. If desired, the chicken can be sauteed instead of grilled.

Filling:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup onion, finely minced

4 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

2 pounds chicken breast, grilled and pulled into thin shreds

1 cup green stuffed salad olives, drained, chopped

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon parsley, minced

Kosher salt

Black pepper, ground

1 pound pepper Jack cheese, grated

Beaten egg, for brushing

Dough for Shell:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup salted butter

¼ cup lard or shortening

Cold water

1. Meanwhile, for the filling, heat a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat, add oil and saute onions and garlic until softened. Stir in pulled chicken, olives, Tabasco and parsley.

2. Remove filling from heat. Stir in cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Chill filling at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days ahead of time.

3. For the dough, sift together flour and salt. Cut the butter and lard or shortening into the flour as though you were making a pie crust by working it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle dough with just enough ice water so that it will just hold together. Knead together briefly and allow to rest, covered about 10 minutes. (If desired, make up to 3 days ahead, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate; sit on counter a few minutes to warm up before rolling.)

4. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Roll out small pieces of dough out on a lightly floured board to circles about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick.

6. Place a spoonful of filling on one side of the circle. Moisten the edges of the circle with a small amount of water and fold the dough over the filling to make a half circle. Press the edges together with a fork to seal. Brush tops with beaten egg and bake for about 12 minutes until golden.

Makes about 16 to 18 empanadas.

Cuban Palomilla Steak

1 pound sirloin steak

8 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup vegetable oil, divided use

2 onions, sliced

Parsley sprig for garnish, optional

1. Marinade steak in garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and parsley for about 2 hours.

2. Drain steak from marinade. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet. Sear the steak until golden on both sides, preferably to medium-rare. Remove the steak and set aside.

3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring until soft and caramelized, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan.

4. Slice the steak into about ½-inch-thick pieces, place onions on top and serve. Garnish with a parsley sprig if desired. Serve with black beans and rice, if desired.

Makes about 4 servings.

Cuban BBQ Beef Ribs

Monteiro suggests serving this on a big platter with black beans and rice on the side. "Cubans like to serve their food family-style," he said.

10 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed

½ cup vegetable oil

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons ground black pepper

1 cup red wine

3 tablespoons paprika

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 cups crushed tomatoes

½ cup finely minced yellow onion

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon mustard

½ pound butter

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

Large chunks of butternut squash, potatoes and carrots (optional)

1. Trim ribs of excess fat, but be sure to leave a little bit of fat on them. Cut ribs into single serving, one-rib pieces.

2. Heat a heavy skillet or Dutch oven with a few tablespoons of the oil. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Place as many ribs in the skillet as will comfortably fit without crowding. Sear all sides until golden. Repeat in as many batches as needed, then return to pan. (Make sure the pan is large enough to hold all the ribs; if necessary, switch to a larger pan.)

3. Deglaze the pan with red wine, simmering 1 to 2 minutes and scraping browned bits from the bottom. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding the squash, potatoes and carrots if desired. Add water until ribs are covered. Bring to a boil. Place a plate inside the pan to keep all the ribs submerged or cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. (Avoid letting any ribs stick out of the liquid because they won't cook evenly.) Reduce heat and cook for about 2 hours. Remove ribs from heat and make sure ribs are fork tender. If desired, serve with a garnish of a quick slaw made with shredded Napa or other cabbage lightly dressed with oil and vinegar.

Makes about 8 servings.