Houston – Take a trip with us to Cuba as we invite Buena Vista Cuban Café to Houston Life.
Roberto Diaz, owner and visionary behind the restaurant joined us with head Chef Yordanis Gardo to tell us about their combination of an authentic and elevated Cuban dining experience.
When Diaz’s daughter graduated college and got a job in Houston, he and his wife followed her from New York and Miami! They soon fell in love with our city’s culture, food, and friendly faces but something was missing. Roberto set out to create a concept reminiscent of his upbringing in Cuba and a pathway to Cuban culture in Houston. Within a year of living in the Bayou City, Buena Vista was born.
The restaurant opened in September 2023 and has been a hit with Houston foodies. Their popular Cuban Nights happen weekly from Thursday to Saturday featuring live music, dancing, and cigar rollers.
On March 10, the restaurant celebrated its inaugural Havana Heights festival, Buena Vista’s Calle Ocho-inspired festival that brought the spirit of Miami to Houston.
Add some Caribbean flair to your home this weekend with these recipes they shared with us.
Buena Vista Cuban Café Signature Ropa Vieja. Cuba’s national dish!
Ingredients:
· 2 lbs flank steak, cut into 4 pieces
· Water (enough to cover the meat in the pot)
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· 1/2 cup diced onion
· 1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
· 1/4 cup jarred red pimientos, thinly sliced lengthwise
· 4 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/4 cup dry cooking wine (vino seco)
· 4 ounces tomato sauce
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
· 1/2 teaspoon oregano
· 1 bay leaf
· Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Begin by tenderizing the flank steak in a Dutch oven filled with water and salt, cooking it over medium-low heat until it reaches a tender consistency, approximately 2 hours. (Alternatively, use a pressure cooker for faster results, around 40 minutes). Once tender, carefully transfer the meat to a plate, and using two forks, shred it into fine pieces. Set aside for later use.
2. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, and add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and jarred red pimientos. Sauté the mixture for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and release their aromas. Incorporate the minced garlic into the skillet and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to infuse the flavors.
3. Pour in the dry cooking wine (vino seco), tomato sauce, ground cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper according to taste preferences. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the flavors meld together beautifully.
4. Carefully fold the shredded flank steak into the skillet, ensuring it is evenly coated with the savory tomato-based sauce. Cover the skillet and let the mixture simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent drying out. Once done, remove the bay leaf from the mixture.
5. To serve, ladle the Ropa Vieja over a bed of fluffy white rice, alongside sweet plantains for a delightful balance of flavors and textures. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley if desired, and savor the authentic taste of Cuba brought to you by Buena Vista Cuban Café.
Tips:
· For an extra depth of flavor, consider adding olives or capers to the dish during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
· Prepare this dish ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld together even further, making it even more delicious when reheated and served.
Buena Vista Cuban Café's Sweet Plantains (Platanos Maduros)
Step-By-Step Instructions:
1. Begin by cutting each ripe plantain diagonally and peeling the skin off. Slice the plantains into 1/2-inch thick slices and set aside.
2. Prepare a paper towel-lined plate for draining and set it aside.
3. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the sliced plantains for 2-3 minutes per side until they’re golden brown and the edges are crispy.
4. Once golden and crispy, transfer the fried plantains to the paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Season them with salt to taste and serve immediately.
Serve sweet plantains as a side dish or alongside Buena Vista Cuban Café's signature black bean, avocado, and plantain arepas!
Recipe Tips & Tricks:
· Need to ripen the plantains? It typically takes about 10 days for a green plantain to ripen fully and become sweet. To speed up the ripening process, place them in a brown paper bag for a few days or bake them unpeeled in the oven at 300ºF for 20 minutes.
· Need to halt the ripening process? If you’re not ready to use ripe plantains yet, store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process until you’re ready to use them in your recipes.
Connect with Buena Vista Cuban Café here.