Sofrito

Sofrito, ahhh let me count the ways....

The list of foods that you can bring to life with just Sofrito alone, is endless. In my family, we use Sofrito in various dishes such as rice, beans, soups and stews. I use it to marinade my Pernil (roast pork shoulder) and many other meats. We also use it to flavor our Pasteles and meat fillings.

The best Sofrito comes from the best ingredients. You can adjust the ingredients to your liking and control your salt intake when you make it from scratch. It is available in jars or frozen tubs in most grocery stores but you can't beat the homemade version.Traditionally, a mortar and pestle is used to grind all of the ingredients together, but I prefer to use a food processor or blender. Here is my own personal recipe for Sofrito.

Sofrito

1 Red bell pepper
1 Green bell pepper
10 Ajicitos dulce (small sweet peppers)
2 Cubanelle peppers or Italian frying peppers
3 Spanish onions (peeled and quartered)
2 Garlic bulbs (seperated and peeled)
2 Bunches of Cilantro (washed well)
3 Culantro Leaves ( or an extra bunch of cilantro)
4 Oregano Brujo Leaves ( or 2 sprigs fresh thyme and 1 TB dried oregano)
1 can Tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Vinegar

Have your food processor or blender ready and have a big bowl beside the food processor. I use the bowl to combine all of the ingredients in the end, instead of cramming it all in at one shot.
First blend all of the peppers well, then add them to the bowl. Next blend the onions, garlic and the cilantro (and culantro if you have it) adding that mixture to the bowl as well. Don't worry about rinsing the food processor bowl in between. Then add the oregano brujo (or thyme and oregano), tomato paste and vinegar to the food processor and blend well. Add the mixture to the bowl and stir completely.
You can use the Sofrito immediately or add by the 1/2 cup (or by the ladel full) to small freezer bags for later use. When you're ready to use them, just run them under a little warm water to loosen them from the bags and you'll be ready to cook!

*Tip: Ajicitos Dulces are a small sweet pepper that resemble the dangerously hot scotch bonnett pepper. Confusing the two would be an unforgettable mistake (trust me!) Be sure that the peppers that you buy from the store state that they are sweet. I've never tasted any other pepper that had the same flavor as the Ajicitos Dulces. They are worth hunting for but if you can't get your hands on them, you can substitute them (in this recipe) with 2 Cubanelle or Italian frying peppers. If you do like some spice in your food, go ahead and add in your favorite hot pepper. The recipe can only get better. Enjoy!