Recipe Pollo Tropical Grilled Chicken

[CraigC]

There is a restaurant chain here, based on Cuban food, called Pollo Tropical. It's star menu item is the grilled chicken using this marinade. They also use the marinade, sans the chicken, adding all other ingredients to the orange and pineapple juices, to cook carrots, thick sliced onions and red/green bell peppers. The marinade is reduced to a glaze that coats the veges. The marinade is also great with pork on the grill, which can be marinated overnight.

Ingredients
2 pounds cut up chicken, your favorite pieces
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, mashed into a paste
4 cups of sour orange/bitter orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 minced jalapeno pepper without the seeds
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano leave

Directions
1) Rub the chicken with the garlic and spices, then set them in a pan with the orange and pineapple juice. Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours. If you can’t find sour/bitter orange juice, substitute equal parts of orange and lime juice.
2) Remove chicken from marinade, pat dry with paper towels and set aside. Reserve the marinade.
3) Heat a sauce pan over med-high, add reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Can be used warm for basting the chicken.
4) Cook on the grill, basting with left over marinade until done.
5) Serve with your choice of sides, black beans and rice, tostones, yucca con mojo, etc.

 

[Morning Glory]

Rub the chicken with the garlic and spices, then set them in a pan with the orange and pineapple juice. Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours. If you can’t find sour/bitter orange juice, substitute equal parts of orange and lime juice.

I'll bet this produces a lovely result. Now, I'm wondering - does Cuban cuisine differ very much from Mexican?

 

[Morning Glory]

...or should I say is it like Jamaican cooking?

 

[CraigC]

I'll bet this produces a lovely result. Now, I'm wondering - does Cuban cuisine differ very much from Mexican?

Cubans generally don't do hot spices like chilis, they don't use tortillas that I'm aware of, they tend to use black beans exclusively, they don't drink Horchata, I have never seen Huitlacoche in their cuisine, no moles and they are pretty heavy coffee drinkers. These are a few differences right off the top of my head. If I were to compare them to another Latin cuisine, they would be pretty close to Puerto Rican. You have to remember that Mexican cuisine is basically from the indigenous people with some Spanish and French influence. The Arawaks had little to no influence on Cuban cuisine as when the Spanish arrived the Arawaks died off from the diseases they brought.

 

[Morning Glory]

Cubans generally don't do hot spices like chilis, they don't use tortillas that I'm aware of, they tend to use black beans exclusively, they don't drink Horchata, I have never seen Huitlacoche in their cuisine, no moles and they are pretty heavy coffee drinkers. These are a few differences right off the top of my head. If I were to compare them to another Latin cuisine, they would be pretty close to Puerto Rican. You have to remember that Mexican cuisine is basically from the indigenous people with some Spanish and French influence. The Arawaks had little to no influence on Cuban cuisine as when the Spanish arrived the Arawaks died off from the diseases they brought.

Well I'm learning new things here - I had to google several words in your post - Horchata, Huitlacoche, Arawaks.

 

[CraigC]

I prefer Cuban flan over others and they use a bit of sherry in many dishes. Cuba is most noted for rum, while Mexico has their tequila.

 

[Morning Glory]

I prefer Cuban flan over others and they use a bit of sherry in many dishes. Cuba is most noted for rum, while Mexico has their tequila.

Looked up Cuban Flan. It is like this?



It looks like crème caramel...

 

[CraigC]

Looked up Cuban Flan. It is like this?

View attachment 12863

It looks like crème caramel...

The bottom, which becomes the top when the flan is flipped is caramel and looks just like that.

 

[CraigC]

This will be dinner tonight. Rice and veges as sides.

 

[Morning Glory]

This will be dinner tonight. Rice and veges as sides.

Take a photo if you can. I'd like to see how it looks.

 

[ElizabethB]

I worked with a guy whose parents were Cubin refugees. They escaped Cuba in a small boat, landed in Florida and eventually made their way to south Louisiana. For a company pot luck he made Cuban Hot Tamales. Very different than Mexican Hot Tamales. In my opinion - better.

Mexican, Cuban and many other cuisines have a Spanish heritage but are not even close to being the same. The joy of exploring international recipes.