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Casado: photo of the dish
Illustrative photo: Richie Diesterheft from Chicago, IL, USA — CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everyday meals

Casado

The casado is Costa Rica's national dish: a complete, generous plate served at lunchtime, combining rice, black beans, meat, salad and tortilla. Its name means "married man" and reflects how all the elements come together in one meal.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Viande

Salade

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Cut the meat into strips, season with salt, pepper, cumin and lime juice, then let it marinate for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sear the meat over high heat until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
  3. In the same pan, cook the sliced onion and chopped garlic for 3 minutes, then add the diced tomato and grated carrot.
  4. Return the meat, add a splash of Lizano sauce and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat until the sauce thickens.
  5. Slice the lettuce and cucumber and season them with vinegar, a pinch of salt and a little oil to make the salad.
  6. Reheat the beans with a little onion and garlic, then arrange the rice, beans, meat, salad and tortillas on a plate.
  7. Add a fried egg or fried plantain on the side if you like, and serve straight away.

Variations and tips

Vegetarian version. Replace the meat with sautéed mushrooms or lentils simmered with the same spices.

Using what's available here. If Lizano sauce is unavailable, a spoonful of soy sauce mixed with a little sugar gives a very similar taste.

More ideas

Original Ecomely recipe.