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Meat croquettes | Photo © CiberCuba Cocina
CiberCuba Cocina

Meat croquettes

Preparation time:
180
Use:
Croquettes are a dish of French origin. Its filling is derived from béchamel sauce, also native to France. The Spanish emigration introduced this dish into the Cuban gastronomic tradition. We Cubans have adapted this recipe to our local flavors and products. And we have adopted it into our culinary tradition as our own dish. Croquettes evoke moments from childhood. Making them sometimes costs us a little work because they require a lot of manipulation, specific products and accurate tricks. But it's worth the effort because in the end they will have a memorable flavor. Enjoy this recipe.
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups cooked and ground beef
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 red pepper chili
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 liter of hot (chicken or meat)
  • 100 grams of wheat flour
  • 100 ml of oil
  • Salt and ground pepper to taste
  • Nutmeg zest to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of breadcrumbs or ground biscuit.
Instructions:

The previously cooked and shredded meat is ground in a grinding machine or with an electric arm. Add salt and pepper and reserve for later.

Meat ready to grind / CiberCuba Cocina

For the bechamel: Cut garlic, onion and red pepper. It is best to mix and grind everything so that it is homogeneous and the croquettes do not remain with pieces or chunks in the mouth.

Sauté ingredients, crushed / CiberCuba Cocina

Add oil to a saucepan and sauté the mentioned ingredients. When the sauce is ready, add the flour and mix well. Add the chicken broth to make the bechamel. Some people add milk instead of the broth, but it loses the meat's flavor. Add nutmeg to your taste. When the consistency of the béchamel is ready, add the meat and continue stirring so that it integrates well into the sauce. At this point you will probably have to add more flour, if the dough is too soft, or more broth if it is too thick. Stir over low heat until the dough is compact and comes off the bottom easily. Take it out of the casserole and let it cool.

Croquettes before frying / CiberCuba Cocina

As the dough cools, begin to shape the croquettes. If they stick to your hands, you can put a little oil on them to handle them. Some people also use the same breadcrumbs (or flour) with which they are breaded to shape them. When all the croquettes are ready, we bread them. First they are passed through beaten egg and then through breadcrumbs.

Croquettes in hot oil / CiberCuba Cocina

They must be fried in very hot oil, otherwise they tend to break and it is not pleasant to the eye or the palate, as they are loaded with fat. When you finish frying them, we suggest that you put them on absorbent paper so that the excess fat drains.

Meat croquettes / CiberCuba Cocina

Enjoy this recipe. Enjoy your meal!!.

Servings:
20