Torta de Yuca

Serves 4-6 Prep ~10 min Cook ~30 min Ready ~40 min

When I was a little girl, my abuelita had a special rock that she used to mash yuca or plantains. She used the same rock for so many years that it was perfectly shaped for her hand. The way she would hand mash food with the rock was so soothing, a perfect rhythm that was memorizing to watch.

As a family, we’re switched over to a food processor, rather than mashing by hand, but both methods work; the texture is just slightly different.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of frozen yuca (peeled)

• ½ white onion

• 1 green onion (optional)

• ~8 oz of graded monterey jack cheese

• 4 tablespoons of salted butter

• ~2 tablespoons of salt

Prep

1. First, cook the yuca. The yuca can be purchased fresh or frozen (I prefer frozen), but must be peeled + cut in medium sized chucks.

2. Boil in water with a tablespoon of salt until fork tender; about 20 mins.

3. Take the yuca directly out of the pot, remove any remaining core and place in a food processor.

4. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of salt (to taste), chopped white onion, and 2 tablespoons of butter + blend until the yuca starts forming into a ball in the food processor. NOTE: If the masa looks dry, you can add in some of the water that you boiled the yuca with and blend for a few more seconds. Let cool for about 15 mins before making the tortas.

5. Coat the palms of your hands with butter, this will help the yuca from sticking to your hands while shaping the torta.

6. Grab a hand full (about a baseball’s size) of the yuca masa and mold into an oval shape.

7. Open a pocket on the top of the torta + fill with a large pinch of cheese and (optional) a small pinch of finely chopped green onions.

8. Gently close up the pocket + make sure no cheese is sticking out.

9. Place on parchment paper and let sit for 15 mins before frying.

10. In a pan or skillet, add about a teaspoon of butter over medium heat. Fry the torta on both sides until golden brown — about 5 mins on each side.

11. Optional step: Add an over-easy egg on the side for breakfast! In my family, since my dad is from Spain & I grew up there, we love fried eggs with everything :)

Enjoy!