Panama Food: Carimanolas

Carimanolas Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds yuca, cut in cubes
2 teaspoons SALT
2 garlic cloves cut very thinly
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 finely chopped onions
1 red pepper,  chopped
½ pound ground meat
1 cup  bread crumbs (maybe a little more may be needed)
1 cup of tomato sauce

Procedure:

In a large pan, bring to a boil the yucca, with salt and water as to cover the yucca.  Let it get soft enough as to be able to mash it thoroughly.  Add the butter and two eggs and beat it well. Add half of the flour cup and make a nice soft dough.
While the dough rests a little, put in a pan the oil, and the onions, the pepper, and all the different spices, the tomato sauce and the ground meat.  Mix all this well, and once done let it stand to cool off a bit as to be able to handle it.
Make small balls with the yucca dough, making a hole in the middle and there filling it with the meat mixture.  Close the dough so that the filling won’t come out when the caraminolas are cooked.
Pass each caraminola through flour, then pass it by the remaining eggs, (well beaten) and then by the bread crumbs.
In a frying pan bring oil to a high heat and dip the caraminolas until they are golden all around.  Remove them carefully and let them rest between paper towels to remove excess oil from them.  Serve them hot, with a good salad.
Enjoy it!