In Cuba, when unexpected guests show up at mealtime, creativity quickly kicks in. Content creator Jaila Thalía (@soy_thaliarcy) recently shared a simple yet tasty solution on her social media for handling such surprise visits.
She was caught off guard with an almost empty refrigerator. All she had were some frozen "pork fat scraps," which she decided to fry to extract the necessary fat for cooking, as she was also out of oil. She set aside the crispy pork bits for later use.
With part of the lard she obtained, Jaila prepared a basic sofrito using whatever spices she had on hand. She added the last two hot dogs from her fridge, slicing them into small rounds for an extra burst of flavor. Finally, she mixed in the rice.
A hearty yellow rice dish is every Cuban woman's go-to solution for feeding a crowd with limited ingredients. The result was a delicious "arroz con suerte," as this dish is known on the island—a classic Cuban survival recipe that's simple, inventive, and, above all, delicious.
In under an hour, Jaila transformed a few ingredients into a complete meal that was enough to feed everyone. Have you ever made a classic "arroz con suerte" in Cuba?