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 dish?
Well, now that I think about it, nothing! But, that’s alright! It’s still a phenomenal dish.
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.
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.
As far as the origins of boliche 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.
Boliche
Cuban boliche is a tender slow cooked beef roast stuffed with chorizo and olives. The citrus marinade brings out some wonderful flavors.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef roast top round
- 1/2 lb chorizo
- 8 stuffed olives sliced
- 1 orange fresh squeezed juice
- 1/2 lemon fresh squeezed juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 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
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Place meat in a resealable bag and add the orange juice, lemon juice and salt. Marinate 8-12 hours. Discard marinade when done.
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In a small bowl place salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
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Insert knife front to back and make an incision across the front.
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Stuff with chorizo and olives.
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Sprinkle with spice mixture.
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Insert skewers (top to bottom) to hold filling in place.
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Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the meat. Brown on all sides.
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Turn heat to medium and add the tomatoes, onions,garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, water, and tomato paste.
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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.
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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
Denise Wright
October 21, 2015 at 8:38 amI 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!
Analida
October 21, 2015 at 5:08 pmLOL!! yes, this is a great dish. The flavors are incredible. Perfect comfort food.
Dora
January 4, 2016 at 10:05 amWhat type of stuffed olives is best for this?
Analida
January 4, 2016 at 7:30 pmDora, 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.
Armando "Chef Vasco"
March 15, 2016 at 10:38 amAnalida 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.
Analida
March 15, 2016 at 3:37 pmArmando, 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.
Georgina
January 17, 2019 at 8:53 amDe acuerdo con Ud. Armando “Chef Vasco”
Muy precisa su aclaración e instructiva.
Muchas gracias.
Georgina
“Cubanos hasta la muerte”
Heather
March 27, 2016 at 6:30 pmIt’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!
Analida
March 28, 2016 at 3:31 pmHeather, I am so sorry it did not turn out. I am glad the flavor was good though. Thanks for your feedback.
Michele
June 11, 2017 at 1:01 pmHeather….what a MEANY …and Analida was still gracious !!!
Ric
July 27, 2017 at 8:22 pmYes 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…
Analida
July 28, 2017 at 10:59 amYou 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.
Lili
January 20, 2018 at 10:20 amThis 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….
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.