Pulpette or Cold Meat | Photo © CiberCuba Cocina

Pulpette or Cold Meat

Kitchen, Main dish

Preparation time:

Use:

La Pulpeta is also known as Carne Fría or Salpicón in Cuba. It is made with ground meat, in most cases mixed. Although we can also find Fish Pulpeta. The recipe that we present on this occasion is made by combining beef and pork. They are seasoned and a cylinder is created that we will fill with hard-boiled eggs or vegetables, so that when cut, there are perfect wheels with curious designs. There are various methods to make these stuffed meat rolls. One of them is by pressing the meat in a cloth and sealing the edges. Then it is immersed in boiling water and cooked for approximately an hour and a half. It can also be made in a casserole or in the oven. We will explain both ways, it will be a faster method but with an equally rich result. Enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients:

250 grams of ground beef
250 grams of ground pork
2 small onions
4 cloves of garlic.
4 eggs
2 sweet red chili peppers
3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese
1 cup of wheat flour
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt, oregano, cumin and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Boil 3 eggs. Avoid overcooking them because they will then receive more heat in the meat filling. Remove the peel and set aside.

Ingredients for the Pulpeta or Cold Meat / CiberCuba Cocina

Mix meats with seasonings and salt to your liking. You can add a teaspoon of sugar which gives a mild flavor and will make it more appetizing. Avoid incorporating juices, wines or sauces into this meat. The idea is to obtain a compact dough, so it is not advisable to add elements that may release liquids, such as tomatoes.

Cut the onion into brunoise, as well as one of the chilies and crush the garlic well. Add them to the meat, along with a raw egg and half a cup of flour. Mix everything well. There should be a dough that separates from the walls of the container.

Eggs cooked on meat to make the roll / CiberCuba Cocina

Place half of the dough on aluminum foil or plastic wrap and roll it out into a rectangle. In the center put the three boiled eggs, which you reserved previously. Cover them by folding one side of the rectangle and then the other side. We should have a meat roll left. Cover the ends with the meat to prevent the filling from coming out. Pass it through wheat flour to seal it. Repeat the same procedure with the other half of the dough.

Stuffed meat roll / CiberCuba Cocina

In the second roll, a red chili stuffed with mozzarella cheese was used in the center. Do not put the cheese directly on the meat because you run the risk that it will end up breaking the roll when it melts. You can use any food that you like as a filling as long as it is previously cooked or easy to cook with low heat. Pitted or stuffed olives, a whole boiled carrot, boiled eggs, etc. are usually placed.

Brown the roll little by little in the casserole / CiberCuba Cocina

This method of making Cold Meat or Pulpeta is faster, but requires that each step be well prepared. It must be handled gently to prevent the meat roll from breaking.

Once the pulp has been carefully dipped in flour to dry its walls, we put it in a saucepan with very little oil. We will let it brown little by little. Keep the heat medium and turn it every 3 minutes so that it cooks on all sides. When it is completely golden we can choose two options:

a) Some people add the tomato sauce to the casserole at this time and leave it cooking for approximately 20 more minutes. If you decide to opt for this method, you should continue rotating the pulpette frequently so that it receives heat evenly. The good thing about it is that you will get a juicier and more colorful dish.

Cold meat or freshly baked pulpeta / CiberCuba Cocina

b) Another way is to transfer the filled meat roll to the oven tray, preheated to 180ºC (350ºF). Cover it with tomato sauce and leave it for approximately 20 minutes in the heat. This option allows you to save time for other preparations, but you will get a dish without extra sauce.

When your meat rolls are ready, serve them on a tray. One of the things that diners enjoy most about this dish is seeing the curious shapes in the center of the meat roll. It can be eaten hot as a main dish, or cold as a snack or light lunch. We hope you enjoy this recipe, which, although long, is very easy to make.

Puleta wheels with stuffed tostones and white rice / CiberCuba Cocina

Enjoy your meal!!

Servings: