Spanish
bars often display an assortment of cold
tapas, but hot tapas are cooked to order
and come from the kitchen. In Spain, a hot
dish that Americans might think of as a
main course—meatballs, or a beef and
olive stew, for example—could be served
in a small portion and considered a tapa.
These braised dishes work well in busy restaurant
operations because they can be made ahead
and reheated to order. Small terra cotta
casseroles make attractive serving pieces
and keep the food warm.
Consider these Spanish-accented tapas from
the stovetop:
Small browned meatballs in brandy
sauce
Beef, pimiento and green olive stew
Beef and chickpea stew
Beef and rice-stuffed peppers
Calves’ liver with onions, deglazed
with sherry, finished with aged sherry
vinegar
Croquettes
of ground meat or fish are a popular tapa
throughout Spain. Most are bound with béchamel,
dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried
and served hot. Ground nutmeg is a common
seasoning. The croquette mixture can be
made well ahead, then shaped and fried to
order.
Consider these Spanish-accented tapas from
the deep fryer:
Croquettes of ground beef or veal
Fried green olives with a seasoned
ground beef coating
Tapas bars with a grill can produce an array
of sizzling tapas, from grilled asparagus
and grilled head-on shrimp to skewered grilled
meats.
Consider these Spanish-accented tapas from
the grill:
Grilled beef skewers with anchovy-garlic
butter
Pincho moruño (grilled skewered
meat in a cumin and paprika marinade)
Savory pastries—known as empanadas
or pasteles—figure in the repertoire
of many tapas bars. The wrapping may be
puff pastry, a yeast dough or pie dough.
The ground-meat filling is well seasoned
with onions, herbs and paprika and may include
chopped eggs, olives or mushrooms.
Consider these Spanish-accented tapas from
the oven:
Empanadas with a ground beef and green
olive filling
Empanadas with a spicy ground beef
and raisin filling
What’s
a Flat Iron Steak?
A value cut from the chuck (shoulder), a
Flat Iron steak has the shape of an old-fashioned
flat iron, hence the name. Also called blade
steak because it lies on one side of the
shoulder blade, the Flat Iron steak has
plenty of marbling and lots of great flavor.
With a little trimming and a marinade, it
is tender enough for grilling. Marinate
it with Spanish seasonings like paprika
and cumin, then skewer and grill it for
Grilled Beef
with Moorish Flavors.
