Briny olives and sweet raisins give this wild mash-up of picadillo and dolma glorious brightness, while cinnamon lends a warmth that makes it subtly wintry. Serve these steamed logs with herbed rice, black beans, and plenty of vinegary hot sauce.

March 2020

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Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe Summary

active:
45 mins
total:
1 hr 45 mins
Yield:
5
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Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl; let cool 10 minutes. Add pork, olives, currants, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt to tomato mixture; knead with your hands until mixture is uniform and smooth (similar to ground sausage). Set aside.

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  • Remove and discard ribs from Swiss chard or tough stem ends from kale, separating each leaf into 2 long strips. Working with 1 strip at a time, spoon 3 tablespoons pork filling onto widest end; tightly roll into a log, leaving ends open.

  • Fill a large pot with water to a depth of 1 inch (about 3 1/2 cups); bring to a boil over high. Line a steamer basket with parchment paper; arrange stuffed leaves in basket. Fit basket inside pot, and cover. Reduce heat to medium; steam until pork is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Serve with lime wedges, hot sauce, black beans, rice, and slaw.

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