1232. VEAL SCALLOPS with BACON a la CUBANA

serves two (big eaters)


8 to 12 oz of veal scallops
6 strips of bacon (4 oz)
1 or 2 limes
1 large onion (or 2 medium ones)
4~6 garlic cloves
1 large green pepper (2 medium ones)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
pickled sweet red pepper (for final dressing)
salt

The day before frying, marinate the (veal) scallops as follows:

Squeeze the lime, spreading its juice on both sides of the meat. Crush the garlic cloves together with salt and apply to the scallops using your fingers. Cut the onion and pepper in small dice. Mix them. Use 1/2 of this mix to make a layer on a dish and cover it with the scallops as a second layer. Cover the scallops with a third layer of onion-and-pepper. You can squeeze the extra lime over the whole. Cover with plastic or an adequate lid, not in contact with the food. Put in the lower part of the fridge (over the vegetables drawer) for 12~24 hours.

Frying: Use medium-high fire at all times. Cut the bacon in pieces of about 2 inches long. Put a very small amount of olive oil (no more than 1/2 teaspoon) on a frying pan. If you are using a Teflon pan, don't use oil at all. When the pan is hot, put the bacon and fry on its own melting lard until crispy. Add the onion-and-pepper used for marinating the scallops and sauté until the onion is transparent. With the frying spoon, clear a space at the centre of the pan and put the scallops to fry in contact with the melted grease. Spread the bacon and the sauté onion-and-pepper over the scallops and fry for a few minutes according to your desire (light, medium, well done). Turn around the scallops at the middle of the frying process, spreading again the bacon with onion-and-pepper on it.


(Tips for) Serving:

Save the grease apart.

Immediately after frying, serve the (veal) scallops on one-half of each dish and cover them with the fried onion-and-pepper. Use the bacon strips to form a ring around. Some strips of pickled sweet red pepper on top will dress it nicely.

Serve fluffy white rice mixed with asleep black beans on the other half of the dish. Pour a small amount of the frying grease on the rice and beans.

Fried green plantain bananas "a puñetazos" will do be the best side dish.

A salad with lettuce and ripe tomatoes, dressed exclusively with olive oil, white vinegar and salt, is the final Cuban touch on your table. If you have radish on hand, please add a few slices to the salad.


courtesy of: Cocina Cubana | Yahoo! Groups | Taste of Cuba