Recipes From 

Oxtail Stew

My grandmother in Nicaragua used to make this dish all the time. My friends from Jamaica insist it tastes just like what they made in their country. I don't know the true origin of this dish, but either way it is very good.

1/3 cup uncooked white beans
1 tablespoon lard
3 pounds of beef oxtails
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 medium tomato, diced
2 cups of beef stock
2 cups of water (about)
2 tablespoons ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste
few shots of hot sauce

Soak the beans in cold water overnight OR place beans in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and cover. Bring to a boil and turn of heat. Allow to sit for 1 hour covered with the heat off.

In a heavy skillet brown the oxtails in lard. Place them in a large (about 6 quart) stove top casserole or stock pot. Add all the remaining ingredients except the water and beans. Then, add just enough water to cover the contents of the pot, this should be about 2 cups more or less.

Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Drain the beans and add to the stock pot. Continue cooking covered for an additional 1 ½ hours. Stir occasionally and add additional water if necessary, you do not want the pot to dry out. If you like a thick stew, remove the lid during the last half hour of cooking.
 
 

Fresco de Piña y Arroz

Pineapple and Rice Drink
Use leftover pineapple peel/rind and place them in a pot. Add enough water to cover the rinds by about one half inch. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes and then add about ½ cup of uncooked white rice. Keep boiling until the rice splits or puffs. Let cool. Strain. Add about twice as much water as you got from the pot. Add sugar to taste. Drink very cold.
 
 

Pinol
Pinol is a powder used to make gritty drinks. The first time my American boyfriend tried it … lets just say its an acquired taste.

Most people in Nicaragua buy pinol already made. However, in the United States that is generally not an option. If you want to try making your own pinol, as I suspect only those longing for Nicaragua will:

Start with an ear of corn and carefully remove the kernels. Try to remove the kernels whole, if they break and the juices escape the next phase wont work very well. Place the kernels on a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake until dry and shriveled but not burnt. Or use a food dehydrator. Grind the kernels to a powder. I hope you have a a mini food processor. Doing it by hand with a rock isn't fun but its definitely possible. I suggest you try a spice grinder, like the ones used for whole nutmeg. It should be ground to a fine powder. Add enough unsweetened cocoa powder to give it a brown appearance and mix.

This powder is used to make a traditional drink in Nicaragua called pinolio. Add enough of this powder (about 2 inches in an 8 ounce glass) to coffee, milk, or even water to make it a dirty gritty brown. You may want to add some sugar. Actually, if you are new to this drink you definitely want to add some sugar. It may be hard going the first time, but you will learn to like it. Really.
 
 

Gallo Pinto

Speckled Rooster
Heat oil in a large skillet. Mix equal portions of cooked red beans and cooked white rice and stir fry in oil till tender. That's it. This dish gets its name from the appearance of the mixture. It does not actually contain rooster, or any other type of meat.

If you are planning to visit Nicaragua, I suggest you try this dish at home first. If you don't like it cancel your trip immediately, because in Nicaragua people eat this stuff three times a day every day.
 
 

Picos

• regular bread dough
• cane sugar - In the US often sold under the brand name Sugar In The Raw
• quajada - a powdery soft cheese from Nicaragua

This is what I miss the most about Nicaragua. Its almost impossible to duplicate in the US because quajada is so difficult to find, even in Hispanic neighborhoods. And I never found another cheese that comes close in terms of texture or taste. Make it with your favorite cheese instead.