As a Cuban by way of Panama and now New York City, my childhood Thanksgivings with my mother and older sister were always a mix of my Latin and American upbringing. In addition to jiggly canned cranberry sauce which was more ceremonial than edible and green bean casserole (an American dish I adore), we had congri (rice with black beans), mojo (roasted pork), and pulpeta. Pulpeta is a fried Cuban meatloaf — but it’s also so much more than that. Rather than being baked and glazed like most meatloaves, it is fried on the stove top, then simmered in a sofrito to finish. Slice into the loaf and the cross-section of a hard boiled egg is revealed, a sort of culinary unboxing. Pulpeta is served around the holidays and in my family we ate it around Thanksgiving when we could cram an extra dish on the table. Since it is a dish traditionally served with mashed potatoes, it was a seamless fit at our table. I recall pulpeta making appearances even when I lived abroad in Hawaii and Japan during the 1990s. The ingredients were still relatively accessible even when we lived on other islands, because as with most Cuban recipes, there is nothing extravagant or expensive about pulpeta: Cuban history is marred with a weak economy, political dictatorships, rationing and a mindset of scarcity. My own upbringing was marked by tightened finances executed by a single mother raising two girls. We had to make decisions such as forgoing the superficial nature of braces in favor of paying for healthcare. But constraint breeds creativity and pulpeta is a fine Cuban example of that. It uses simple ingredients with clever technique: ground pork, beef, breadcrumbs, eggs and sofrito, searing, simmering, resting. This meatloaf, if I am allowed to get poetic about it, feels representative of myself and my Cuban identity: Outwardly, I can present very American like the ground beef and pork meatloaf blend, but my Cuban identity is hidden inside like the hardboiled egg. The hidden hardboiled egg of my Cuban identity was not so much intentionally shielded as sometimes passed over in favor of assimilation of our new adopted homeland. I’ve never been embarrassed about being Cuban nor tried to shield it—for many years, it just got pushed to the wayside. Learning perfect American English and the Pledge of Allegiance to gain citizenship—Charlie’s Golden Ticket—took precedence. And when you lived in as many places as I did growing up, you are forced to adapt and change on a dime. It was only once I got older that I really started to crave finding my Cuban roots again and “put it back on the table” in a very concerted and literal fashion. Pulpeta, congri, patacones and more Latin dishes are present at our table not only as a reminder of our “Cubanity” but for the plain and simple fact that they taste delicious. Now that my family continues to grow with the addition of my two adorable nieces, it’s also an opportunity now for me to teach “the girls” about their Cuban heritage too. And to share a delicious slice with you.
Seared and Simmered, Not Baked
Rather than being baked in an oven like other meatloaves, pulpeta is cooked on the stovetop. It’s first dipped in a beaten egg wash, rolled twice in breadcrumbs, and then seared in olive oil to create a crunchy crust. The searing process caramelizes the natural sugars in the meat which creates a flavorful brown crust, while the simmering and sautéing in the sauce helps to cook the meat all the way through.
What’s in the Sauce
Pulpeta is cooked in a tomato sauce, also known as a sofrito in Latin American cooking. Sofrito is a foundational sauce—it’s a blend of herbs, vegetables, and spices used to season many dishes like stews, beans, rice, meat, and more. Cuban sofrito is a red sofrito (there are green sofritos too) and generally uses tomatoes, red bell peppers, tomatoes, oregano, white wine, onions, and garlic. The sofrito is also reserved for drizzling on individual slices of pulpeta when it’s ready to eat.
Rest the Pulpeta Before Slicing
When you’re done cooking, allow the pulpeta to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. This gives the juices time to redistribute and settle. If you slice into the loaf too soon, the juices will seep out, leaving you with a drier meatloaf.
How to Store and Freeze Pulpeta
Pulpeta will keep in the fridge for two to three days wrapped in aluminum foil. To freeze, slice it up and wrap each slice individually before freezing. Thaw the slices in the fridge overnight and then reheat them either in the microwave for 1 minute on high or in a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of oil until warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully place the seared meatloaf into the tomato mixture using tongs and a metal spatula, if needed and reduce heat to low.
