Rellenos de Yuca (Stuffed Cassava)
Rellenos de yuca or stuffed cassava are a delicious appetizer, similar to rellenos de papa (stuffed potatoes) and can be filled with beef or cheese. This traditional Caribbean fritter is simple to make and is a crowd pleaser!
Equipment
- 1 large pot or deep fryer
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/2 lbs cassava (yuca) fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp sal for boiling water
- 1/4 taza milk
- 1 tbsp mantequilla
- 1 1/2 tsp Adobo can sub with chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp sazón
- salt, to taste
Coating
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 taza all-purpose flour
For frying
- 40 oz avocado oil can sub with canola, corn, vegetable, or peanut oil
Picadillo
- 1 lb carne molida 85%-90% lean
- 2 tbsp sofrito
- 1 tbsp chicken or beef bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
- 1/2 taza salsa de tomate
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 1/2 bell pepper finely diced
- 2 tbsp aceitunas verdes sliced or diced
- 1 tsp adobo
- 1 tsp sazon
- 1 tsp cebolla en polvo
- 1 tsp ajo en polvo
- 1/4 tsp ground oregano
- 1/8 tsp pimienta negra
Instructions
Cook cassava
- Place a large pot of water over high heat. Bring to a boil and add 1 tbsp of salt.
- Peel and cut the cassava into small chunks. Make sure to cut the pieces about the same size so they can cook evenly.
- Add cassava to the boiling water and cook for 35-40 minutes or until fully cooked through and very soft in texture. The longer it boils, the softer it will become.
Cook picadillo
- Coloca un sartén a fuego medio alto. Dore la carne molida y retire el exceso de grasa del sartén.
- Add sofrito, tomato sauce, onions, peppers and olives. Add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables become tender.
- Add a little water if the picadillo dries up. Cover and allow the picadillo to continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
Make dough
- Strain the cassava, remove the core and discard.
- Place the cassava in a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, salt or abodo, and sazón.
- Mash the cassava using a fork or potato masher until it's smooth.
- To form the balls, rub a small amount of oil onto your hands. Use an ice cream scoop to make sure each ball is the same size.
- Place the mixture on the palm of your hand and form a disc. Fill the center with meat or cheese. Then close the ball by pulling the edges in. Add a tiny bit more of the mixture to seal the ball, if necessary. Roll the balls until smooth and perfectly round. TIP: Smooth any bumps with a tiny bit of oil on your fingertips.
- Repeat until you have used all the mixture. It should yield about 12-14 balls.
Coat the cassava balls
- Beat the egg and dip each ball in the egg and then into flour. Shake off the excess.
- Place the balls in the freezer for about 2-4 hours. You can also freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Fry cassava balls
- Fry at 325℉ in a deep fryer or large pot filled with enough oil to cover the balls completely. Cook until golden brown. TIP: Be careful not to overcook them or allow the oil to get too hot because they can burst.
- Place them on a paper towel lined rack to cool and soak excess oil.
- Serve while hot and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!
Notes
Tips:
- While forming the cassava balls, smooth any bumps with a tiny bit of oil on your fingertips.
- Fry at about 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful not to overcook the cassava balls or allow the oil to get too hot while frying because they can burst.