Central American cooking where the plato típico (rice, beans, plantain and meat) anchors the daily lunch and the baleada (folded flour tortilla with refried beans and cream) anchors the daily snack. Coastal Garifuna influence brings coconut milk, coconut rice and conch soup; the highlands give grilled carne asada and pollo con tajadas. Refried beans, fried plantain, sour cream (mantequilla) and avocado are constants; pickled cabbage (curtido) and chimol salsa share the table.
Steak (a thin cut like skirt or sirloin) is marinated briefly with sour orange, garlic and cumin, then grilled or seared hard. Plantain is sliced and fried until deep gold. Rice is cooked white. Refried beans are warmed through; mantequilla is whisked smooth; avocado is sliced; tortillas are warmed. Everything goes on a wide plate together.
Bone-in chicken pieces marinate in lime, garlic, achiote and cumin, then are floured and fried until deep gold and crisp-skinned. Ripe (or green) plantains slice into long tajadas and fry until soft and sweet. A quick curtido of cabbage, onion and vinegar provides crunch; a chunky chimol of tomato, onion and cilantro provides freshness. Plate, top, drizzle, serve.
Conch is tenderised by pounding (or by long cooking, whichever is at hand), then briefly simmered. Aromatics (onion, garlic, sweet pepper, achiote or paprika) fry in butter; coconut milk, water, yuca (cassava) and green plantain go in; the conch returns at the end so it stays tender. Cilantro, lime, salt.
