Culinary Travel: Ecuador

Photo courtesy of Ministry of Tourism Ecuador

Ecuador spans four vastly different worlds.  From the endless reaches of the Amazon, to the breathtaking beauty of the Andes, to the pristine stretches of the Pacific coast, to the legendary Galapagos Islands, each region boasts a unique landscape, ecosystem and culture.  Nowhere else on earth can visitors experience such extreme diversity in one country.   And because Ecuador is only the size of Nevada, it’s possible to see it all in just one trip!

Ecuador is blessed with a diversity of native ingredients, thanks to its geography. Ecuador has a large coastal region, so seafood is abundant. There's a mountainous strip in the middle of the country, where traditional Andean crops such as potatoes (many different kinds), and grains such as quinoa and corn are cultivated. The tropical region produces many exotic fruits. 

This dish is called Niños Envueltos, which literally translates to wrapped children (unusual name). Niños Envueltos are cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and ground meat. Even better when paired with your favorite brand of hot sauce. 

Niños Envueltos: Cabbage Rolls with Rice and Ground Meat Filling

Ingredients
14-16 large cabbage leaves
water for blanching cabbage leaves
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely diced celery
1cup finely diced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 green onion stalks, finely chopped
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
1/2 pound ground beef (sirloin recommended)
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 dash salt to taste
1 dash ground pepper to taste
1 dash cumin to taste
2 cups cooked long-grain rice

Directions
For the filling: In a large skillet, heat up the vegetable oil. Add all the vegetables to make a refrito. Sautee for 3-5 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add the ground meats and stir to incorporate. Add the tomato paste, and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Cook until the meats are browned and the juices run clear, about 15-20 minutes. Add the cooked rice and mix to incorporate all the ingredients and flavors. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Assembling the roll-ups: Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large dutch oven or stockpot, bring abundant water to a boil. Once boiling, add the cabbage leaves to blanche them and make them pliable. Blanche for 2 minutes, and remove from the hot water immediately. Reserve this water, and maintain it hot.

Lay a cabbage leaf on your counter. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the meat and rice mixture. Make a roll by folding the sides in, rolling the bottom side up, and tucking it in, similar to rolling up a burrito. Repeat the process with the remaining cabbage leaves.

Place the rolls, edges down, in a baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Place this dish inside a bigger baking dish. Add the hot water to the bigger dish (Baine Marie), until it reaches half-way up the dish containing the rolls.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until all the ingredients are warmed through.

Serve with the hot sauce of your choice.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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