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    Home >> Cuban

    How to Make Cuban Boliche

    Published: October 18, 2015 • Modified: December 1, 2020 • by Author: Analida • Word count:687 words. • About 4 minutes to read this article.

    1273 shares
    • 39
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    How to make Cuban boliche: A marinated roasted beef stuffed with chorizo and olives then show roasted. A great recipe for the slow cooker. | ethnicspoon.com

    Boliche??? What is that? Well... The name in Spanish literally means "bowling". Yeah, bowling, like the game you play. So, what does bowling have to do with this delicious Cuban boliche recipe?

    a plate of roasted, sliced, stuffed pork with fried plantains and a yellow napkin and poker on the left

    Jump to:
    • What Goes In Boliche?
    • Boliche Origins
    • Note:
    • Boliche Recipe Card

    Well, now that I think about it, nothing!  But, that's alright! It's still a phenomenal dish.

    What Goes In Boliche?

    Boliche is rich in flavor and easy to prepare. Essentially boliche is a beef roast that has been marinated in citrus juices, a popular practice in Latin American and Cuban cuisine. Marinating the meat breaks down the connective tissue thus naturally tenderizing it. The roast is then stuffed with chorizo and stuffed olives, tied and slow cooked to tender perfection. As far as the chorizo goes, you can use fresh or cured chorizo. My personal preference is the cured chorizo. One less step.  The olives add a great salty/tangy taste.

    steps for making cuban stuffed pork

    The best boliche I have ever had was in a small, and unassuming family restaurant in Melbourne, Florida. It was amazingly tender. The combination of spices was perfect and the traditional accompaniments of rice,  black beans, and plantains were also delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Although I am not Cuban, I grew up on this type of food. Cuban food is definitely comfort food.

    One of the things I love about boliche is if you are having guests, you can start way ahead of time. It's a no fuss kind of dish. My husband thought that perhaps boliche could be cooked in the crock pot. Frankly, I don't see why  not. I, however, have always cooked it on the stove; old habits are hard to break.

    a dutch oven with cuban roasted pork in juice with a napkin, poker and cilantro on the top

    Boliche Origins

    As far as the origins of boliche recipes go, I am not really sure. If I were to hazard a guess I would say it is a blend of Spanish and African cuisine. Spanish due to the use of chorizo, and African given the slow cooking process. In the plantations African slaves could not afford to purchase good cuts of meat, so they would slow cook a lesser quality meat until it was tender and infused with all kinds of wonderfully rich flavors. You can say that boliche is a close cousin to Ropa Vieja, the only difference being is that boliche is not shredded.

    Boliche is definitely not a low-cal dish. It is the perfect choice for a Latin American/Caribbean dinner.

    Note:

    When cooking, if you notice that the liquid is evaporating, add more water. A good rule of thumb is one cup of water per pound of meat.

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    How to make Cuban boliche: A slowly braised roast beef stuffed with chorizo and olives. | ethnicspoon.com
    4.25 from 4 votes
    Print

    Boliche Recipe Card

    Cuban boliche is a tender slow cooked beef roast stuffed with chorizo and olives.  The citrus marinade brings out some wonderful flavors. 

    Course Main dish
    Cuisine Cuban
    Keyword beef, chorizo, olives, slow roasted, stew, stuffed
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: Change to adjust-> 6 servings
    Calories 801 kcal
    Author Analida Braeger

    Ingredients

    • 4 lbs beef roast top round
    • ½ lb chorizo
    • 8 stuffed olives sliced
    • 1 orange fresh squeezed juice
    • ½ lemon fresh squeezed juice
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • ½ tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp oregano
    • 2 Tbsp olive oil
    • 3 Roma tomatoes diced
    • 1 onion medium, diced
    • 4 garlic cloves minced
    • 8 sprigs cilantro tied
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 cups water
    • 2 Tbsp tomato paste

    Instructions

    1. Place meat in a resealable bag and add the orange juice, lemon juice and salt. Marinate 8-12 hours. Discard marinade when done.
    2. In a small bowl place salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
    3. Insert knife front to back and make an incision across the front.
    4. Stuff with chorizo and olives.
    5. Sprinkle with spice mixture.
    6. Insert skewers (top to bottom) to hold filling in place.
    7. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the meat. Brown on all sides.
    8. Turn heat to medium and add the tomatoes, onions,garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, water, and tomato paste.
    9. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, turning every 15 minutes or so. Every time you turn the meat pour the juice over it to keep the meat hydrated.
    10. I like to serve this dish with rice, beans and sweet plantains.

    Recipe Notes

    When cooking, if you notice that the liquid is evaporating, add more water. A good rule of thumb is one cup of water per pound of meat

    Nutrition Facts
    Boliche Recipe Card
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 801 Calories from Fat 486
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 54g83%
    Saturated Fat 21g131%
    Cholesterol 241mg80%
    Sodium 1235mg54%
    Potassium 1388mg40%
    Carbohydrates 9g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 68g136%
    Vitamin A 630IU13%
    Vitamin C 24.5mg30%
    Calcium 92mg9%
    Iron 7.6mg42%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    How to make Cuban boliche: A marinated roasted beef stuffed with chorizo and olives then show roasted. A great recipe for the slow cooker. | ethnicspoon.com

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    1273 shares
    • 39

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Denise Wright

      October 21, 2015 at 8:38 am

      I am so making this soon. It looks delicious! How can you beat, meat stuffed with meat, olives and such tasty spices. The marinade sounds good too!

      Reply
      • Analida

        October 21, 2015 at 5:08 pm

        LOL!! yes, this is a great dish. The flavors are incredible. Perfect comfort food.

        Reply
    2. Dora

      January 04, 2016 at 10:05 am

      What type of stuffed olives is best for this?

      Reply
      • Analida

        January 04, 2016 at 7:30 pm

        Dora, I just use the olives that are stuffed with pimentos. There are a few brands at the store. Any brand you choose will be fine.

        Reply
    3. Armando "Chef Vasco"

      March 15, 2016 at 10:38 am

      4 stars
      Analida for future information for authenticity, cilantro is not used in Boliche. Also it has nothing to do with African cooking, rather is a dish from the Canary Islands, Spain along with Ropa Vieja & Vaca frita and other dishes brought to Cuba by immigrants that settled there. I'm a Cuban/Basque. Hope this helps.

      Reply
      • Analida

        March 15, 2016 at 3:37 pm

        Armando, I've always used cilantro for boliche. As a matter of fact, a friend of my mother who is Cuban always uses it. Digging into the history of boliche, I did find out it came from the Canary Islands, but my research shows that it was Africans who transported the dish to Cuba. According to my research, the Canary Islands was the last stop before shipping off across the Atlantic. BTW, do you have any Basque recipes? Thanks for your input.

        Reply
      • Georgina

        January 17, 2019 at 8:53 am

        De acuerdo con Ud. Armando “Chef Vasco”
        Muy precisa su aclaración e instructiva.
        Muchas gracias.
        Georgina
        “Cubanos hasta la muerte”

        Reply
    4. Heather

      March 27, 2016 at 6:30 pm

      It's WAY OVER COOKED! Flavor is great. Meat is so over cooked it's shoe leather. Thanks for wrecking an expensive cut of meat! Happy Easter all!

      Reply
      • Analida

        March 28, 2016 at 3:31 pm

        Heather, I am so sorry it did not turn out. I am glad the flavor was good though. Thanks for your feedback.

        Reply
    5. Michele

      June 11, 2017 at 1:01 pm

      4 stars
      Heather....what a MEANY ...and Analida was still gracious !!!

      Reply
      • Ric

        July 27, 2017 at 8:22 pm

        4 stars
        Yes she was gracious! And I believe it should not be an expensive cut of meat, as this was a poor persons dish, cooked very low & slow to break the meat down. Perhaps Heather was cooking at a too high heat or perhaps her pot was to thin...

        Reply
        • Analida

          July 28, 2017 at 10:59 am

          You are right, the cooking method was a way to soften a not so great cut of meat. Maybe you are right in your assessment Ric. I try to be nice.

          Reply
    6. Lili

      January 20, 2018 at 10:20 am

      5 stars
      This recipe helped me a lot during the holidays! I made it for the first time and it came out delicious I had compliments from all my guests. I’m not Cuban....

      Reply
      • Analida

        January 21, 2018 at 12:39 pm

        🙂 Hi Lili! I'm so glad the recipe work out for you. Glad your guests enjoyed it!. Boliche is so easy to make, and such a crowd pleaser.

        Reply
    7. James Di Piazza

      December 16, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      Can this be cooked in the oven rather that on stove top I so, what temperature should I set the oven for, and how long should it bake?

      Reply
      • Analida

        December 16, 2020 at 3:14 pm

        Hi James!
        This is a great question. You can cook this in the oven in the same way you would make pernil.

        https://ethnicspoon.com/pernil/

        In a nutshell:
        Preheat your oven to 300F. place in a roaster pan.
        Cook covered for about 3 hours. Remove from oven, flip and cover once more. You can add 1/2 to 1 cup of water to the roaster to add some additional juices for later.
        Continue to cook another 2 hours, or until fork tender. It should fall apart.

        I hope this helps! Enjoy!

        Reply

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    Analida profile pictureI have been researching and creating ethnic recipes for over 20 years. I love to share "mostly healthy" easy and affordable ethnic recipes using fresh ingredients, with a bit of culture and food history sprinkled in.... Read more-->

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