Huh? What language am I reading?
Dominican spanish baby!
Let me explain.
Los Tres Golpes translates to the three hits.
Why am I talking about making three hits, cute? Three hits of… cocaine? to the punching bag? baseball?
All possible- but NO! I’m talking about food!
The three hits, better known as Los Tres Golpes is a typical dish from my motherland, Dominican Republic. Dare I say, should be THE dish from the island!
This delicious holy trinity of a meal is usually served for breakfast, but can most certainly, and most definitely is, served at any time of the day.
It is made up of three components.
- 1. Plantains : These are a type of banana that can be consumed from their early life, bright dark green, to their ripest of days, a black and golden yellow of a skin. Typically they are sliced up when they are right in the middle and tossed into a boiling hot pot of water soften up into a tender-y, sweet-y, goodness. They have a consistency similar to mashed potatoes, but softer. Imagine you have two dogs, one is a big floof and one is a so-so floof. Who will you cuddle the mostest? I think we all know the answer here… Add butter (some also like to add milk!) to your plantains and mash them up to your desired chunk factor.
- 2. Fried Egg : I did say this was primarily a breakfast dish, and what better way to start your day than with an egg! Two eggs are fried to golden perfection in a swimming pool of oil, because cholesterol? Who’s that? Cooked to order and my order is always nice and gooey and yolkyyyy.
- 3. Fried Salami : It’s Induveca or bust baby. YFM? Don’t get it? Don’t worry about it. (J/K! It’s a popular brand of salami in DR but can also be found in many local groceries and bodegas in the US (mainly east coast! LA was not on the up and up in Dominican delicacies)). Slice up SEVERAL thick slices and toss into that pool of oil we talked about. Watch them sizzle to a beautiful golden brown before slipping them into something more comfortable; ideally, a paper towel, to drain some oil.
- Fried CHEESE. One more time for the folks in the back. FRIED CHEESE. THEY MAKE A CHEESE SPECIFICALLY FOR FRYING. For all that is holy, the beloved cheesemakers created Queso de Freir, which is a firm and salty cheese that heats up to a crispy dark brown. Imagine that perfect summer tan glow you’re always feening for in the winter- like that. Cut up a few chunks and fry fry fry! Yes, I know, we are still in the oil pool. But you can control the “water” levels! So pour accordingly. I typically coat the pan in the beginning and do not need to add any more oil as the salami releases enough for everyone to take a dip. 😉 Now of course, any cheese can work, cheddar and mozzarella are solid contenders!
Remember, presentation is everything! This dish is topped with thinly sliced red onions- yes, fried/sauteed/ cooked in whatever is left of the oil! And Voila! Los tres golpes, awaiting to help start your glorious day into a baby food coma.
However, what if you have things to do? A life to live?Skinny jeans to be skinny in? All you wanted was a few bites of that buttery, delicious mangu and friends…
And you CAN NOT have that jartura slowing you down all am?! I mean, we still need room for drink! This has been a constant struggle in my life and kept me from many days of stuffing my face with my delicious home eats.
Well my pets, don’t fret- I got you. I’ve figured out how we can have the best of both worlds.
Make. It. Bite. Sized.
Make the whole dish, roll it up into a ball, and make it fit in the palm of your hand! Cute!
WHAT?! SO SIMPLE! So Tasty! And here’s how it’s done….
Ingredients
*Notes at the bottom
3 Ripe Plantains*
4-5 cups water
1 tbsp unsalted butter*
1/2 Red Onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (2-3 cups more for rolling)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup Salami (or spam! If you have that handy!) cubed
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese chopped into cubes
3 cups of oil for frying (maybe more/less dependent on how hard core you’re trying to go;)
*You can use green plantains or ripe ones. The difference is the ripe ones are sweeter and less starchy, similar to a banana. Both types are equally popular and tasty.
*If you use salted butter, just omit the salt from your mixture.
Instructions
Bring water to a boil and begin to peel the plantains. The greener they are, the firmer and less sweet they will be. I used yellow plantains, so mine were pretty sweet, but I like them that way! If you want them a bit more savory, go for the greener ones. Continue peeling and chop each one into fourths and let them cook until tender on high heat. Monitor every few minutes. the riper ones will cook faster than the greenies.
While those are getting loosened up for ya, chop your onions, garlic, and salami. You can start to fry these up while the plantains cook, but you don’t need to. The plantains will have to cool down before you can handle them, so if you want to keep this to a one-pot scenario, just drink your mimosa and wait.
You know, that mimosa I told you to pour earlier? Remember? Focus!
Once the plantains are tender, as in, they almost fall apart when pierced with a fork, drain the water. I tossed mine into a colander and let them sit to cool down. I gave the pot a rinse and brought it back to the stove to dry off before adding in a bit of oil, about 1 tbsp.
Toss in your onions and let them clarify, then add the garlic and salami. I didn’t have any salami & since it’s still cooking in the time of Corona, I used what I had on hand. And oddly enough, I had spam. So! Stir continuously so the salami/spam cooks evenly.
Once done, transfer to your work area and add 2 cups of oil to your pan. You’ll have to decide if you want these to be deep fried, or if you want to watch and turn them continuously. I choose the later so as to have them in the oil for as short as time as possible.
Go back to your plantains, they miss you. Pour them into a mixing bowl and add in the butter.
Mmmm, I love butter.
Mash those puppies up until they are smooth as satin. Once the butter has melted,add in your flour, bread crumbs salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Go ahead and dance to the music of my people, who have now enveloped you.
Ok, it’s go time. If you’ve made it this far, this is the toughest part of the challenge. Trying not to eat while assembling!
But I believe in you, so lets go!
Take about 1 1/2 tbsp of plantain mash into your hands. We like to get dirty in my kitchen, so roll them sleeves up if you haven’t yet! Make an indent in the middle with your thumb and fill your new little hole with a bit of everything, salami, onions, and 2-3 little chunks of cheese. This will be approximately 1 tsp of salami/onions. Start to slowly fold the sides of your circle up and into the center, forming a ball. Keep slowly pushing the sides up and around to enclose the mixture and leave no openings around! If one side opens up, just add a bit more plantain or keep smoothing it over.
Once your ball is complete, roll it in the breadcrumbs until it’s covered. We want it evenly covered so you get a bang crackle CRUNCH from every sweet, sweet bite you take.
Before you toss it into your oil, make sure the oil is ready for your baby mangu ball. Toss in a few breadcrumbs and if they sizzle right to the top- it’s go time.
Now, you can make all your balls at once, or one at a time. I’d suggest to at least making a few so you always have something cooking in the oil. You don’t want the oil to sit too long in between cooks because it will still be burning and will have the loose breadcrumbs to feast on. This feast will turn your oil burnt and not so tasty. :/
Slowly drop your balls, lol, into your hot swimming oil pool. Let cook for about 5 seconds before turning the balls over and CONTINUOUSLY watching. They can go from great to garbage quickly because that oil is hot. So watch ya babes and toss, taking them out when they reach that golden summer tan lewk we’re always after #hotgirlsummer.
Remove from the pan with a wooden spoon. I say this because I was using a spatula and the spatula didn’t make it out alive- so.. use a wooden spoon. If it’s slated even better. Also, a metal spatula would also work, or a mesh strainer specifically designed for frying foods. Use what you got!
Slide your little heavenly balls of goodness onto a papertowel and let cool for 2-3 mins.
Or do not let them cool and slice up right away! The world is your oyster! Burn your mouth if you want to, but I don’t recommend it!
Eat with a fork and knife or take a bite right in! The cheese will be melty, gooey, but the ball will hold up respectively, so you shouldn’t make much of a mess.. But if you do, fuck it and enjoy either way!
I enjoyed mine with a sala roja! An elegant mixture of tomatoe vinegar puree and whipped egg fat with vinegar. In other words, ketchup and mayo!
This portion made 11 balls, and I was full after 3. Well after 2, but I’m in self-isolation and don’t have to wear pants, soo.. I had 3.
Let me know what you think! And if you decide to try out this tasty and oh so easy traditional dish, please let me know!
Tag me on the gram, Faceboo, twitter, or even kick it old school and send me an email. I want to hear and see all about it!
Till next time!
Voyaging Vanessa