Name: Pan-Fried Stuffed Potatoes (Cuban Papas Rellenas)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce; 0.25 cup dry white wine; 0.5 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives; salt and ground black pepper to taste; 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered; 4 large eggs; 1 cup dry bread crumbs; 1 cup vegetable oil, or as needed

Step 1

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef with onions and garlic in the hot skillet until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Turn heat down to medium-low. Add tomato sauce and wine and let simmer. Stir in olives. Season with salt and pepper; adjust the seasonings per taste.

Step 2

Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes, then set aside to cool.

Step 3

Separate the egg yolks from the whites into two bowls. Mix the egg yolks into the cooled mashed potato mixture. Whisk the egg whites for 1 minute.

Step 4

Take 1/4 cup of the mashed potatoes and form into a ball. Make a dent in the ball, to give it more of a bowl shape. Fill the indentation with 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture, and then reseal it.

Step 5

Reshape the potato as a ball again. Dip the ball in the egg whites, then roll the ball around in bread crumbs until coated. Repeat with remaining potato and meat mixture. For a better coating, or for a crunchier texture, you may dip the ball into the egg whites again and coat it with another layer of bread crumbs. Refrigerate the potato balls for at least 4 hours before frying.

Step 6

Pour enough oil into a skillet or frying pan to cover half of the potato balls. Heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 7

Working in batches, place several balls into the frying pan and cook on each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, taking care not to overcook. Drain the stuffed potatoes in a single layer on paper towels.

Pan-Fried Stuffed Potatoes (Cuban Papas Rellenas)

Ingredients

Instructions