Casado

Ingredients

Rice and beans

• 300 glong-grain white rice
• 2garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbspoil, ½ tsp salt, 600 ml water
• 400 gcooked black beans in their broth, warmed with 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 tsp ground cumin

Protein (choose one)

• 4chicken thighs, boned, or 4 thin beef steaks (bistec)
• 1onion, sliced into rings
• 1red pepper, sliced
• 3 tbspSalsa Lizano
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• Juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt and pepper
• 2 tbspoil

Picadillo and sides

• 300 gchayote or green papaya, finely diced
• 1carrot, finely diced
• 2spring onions and 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 2ripe plantains, sliced diagonally
• ¼white cabbage, finely shredded
• 2tomatoes, sliced
• Juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp oil, salt
• 4corn tortillas
• 1avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken or beef in the Lizano, garlic, lime, cumin, salt and pepper for at least 20 minutes.
2. Fry the rice briefly in oil with the minced garlic until the grains turn chalky, add the water and salt, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes. Rest 5 minutes off the heat and fork it loose.
3. Simmer the black beans with garlic and cumin in enough of their own dark broth to keep them soupy, about 15 minutes, and season.
4. For the picadillo, sweat the spring onion in oil, add the diced chayote and carrot with 100 ml water, cover and cook 12–15 minutes until tender and dry, then stir in the coriander and season.
5. Fry the plantain slices in medium-hot oil for 2–3 minutes a side until deep gold and caramelised at the edges; they should be sweet and soft, not crisp.
6. Dress the shredded cabbage and tomato with lime, oil and salt to make the ensalada.
7. Cook the marinated protein: sear the steaks 2 minutes a side in a very hot pan and rest them, or fry the chicken 5–6 minutes a side until golden and cooked through, then soften the onion and pepper in the same pan and pile them on top.
8. Warm the tortillas on a dry griddle for 30 seconds a side until pliant and freckled.
9. Plate everything in separate touching mounds on one large plate: rice, beans, picadillo, plantain, salad, avocado, the protein and the tortilla at the rim. It should look full and orderly, not mixed.

Technique

• Casado means ‘married man’, from the joke that this is the balanced plate a wife would send you off with; it is the standard weekday lunch of every Costa Rican soda.
• Salsa Lizano, a mild, tangy, vaguely tamarind and cumin brown sauce, is the flavour of Costa Rican home cooking and turns up in the marinade, in gallo pinto and on the table.
• The components stay separate on the plate. Casado is defined by the assembly, so cook each element properly rather than combining them.

Substitutions

• Grilled or fried fish (pescado) and pork chop are the two other standard proteins; the rest of the plate does not change.
• If you cannot find Salsa Lizano, use Worcestershire sauce thinned with a little cumin, sugar and lime; it is close but sharper.

Variations

• Casado vegetariano swaps the protein for fried cheese, an omelette or a bean patty and is offered in most sodas.
• Coastal Limón versions cook the rice and beans in coconut milk with thyme and a whole scotch bonnet.

History

A composed lunch plate of rice, beans, salad, plantain and meat; the name means married man, said to describe the packed worker’s meal.

Frequently asked questions

What is Casado?

Casado is a main from Costa Rica: lunch plate of rice, beans, plantain, salad, and a protein. A composed lunch plate of rice, beans, salad, plantain and meat; the name means married man, said to describe the packed worker’s meal.

How long does Casado take to make?

Casado takes 30 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 plates. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Casado?

Yes, within limits. Grilled or fried fish (pescado) and pork chop are the two other standard proteins; the rest of the plate does not change. If you cannot find Salsa Lizano, use Worcestershire sauce thinned with a little cumin, sugar and lime; it is close but sharper.

What is the most important thing to get right in Casado?

The components stay separate on the plate. Casado is defined by the assembly, so cook each element properly rather than combining them.