Cuban Ham Croquettes (Croquetas de Jamon)

Cuban Ham Croquettes (Croquetas de Jamon)

by | Dec 1, 2018 | Recipes

HEY MAN, YOU KNOW I’M HALF CUBAN RIGHT?

You should see the looks I get.  I am probably one of the whitest Latinos you have ever seen.  I guess my 1/4 Irish and 1/4 English heritage won out on the looks department.  THAT BEING SAID…Let us take a look at one of the staple appetizers in the Cuban household.

HAM CROQUETTES

They can be served with anything for any occasion.  Being that they take a long time to make, it isn’t something that you can whip up in a few minutes.  You need to plan to make them.

Cuban Ham Croquettes

A classic Cuban appetizer that is a staple for any Cuban dish or party.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Cuban
Servings 16 Croquettes

Ingredients
  

Croquettes

  • 2 cups Ham Minced
  • 1 tsp Onion MInced
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp white wine dry
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 cups cracker meal

Dipping Sauce

  • 1 cup mayonaise
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 4 slices pickled jalapenos diced fine
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions
 

Directions

  • Throw the ham in a blender or food processor. Keep going until you get a total of 2 cups of pureed ham.
  • Combine milk, flour, salt and pepper and set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a 2 qt. pot and saute onions over medium heat until translucent.
  • Add the milk mixture and stir constantly over med-hi heat until the mixture begins to thicken into a dough-like consistency.
  • Remove from the heat, add the minced ham to the mixture and combined until it is thoroughly mixed.
  • At this stage, you will want to transfer the “masa” to a bowl and put in the fridge to chill for several hours or put in the freezer until the masa is firm but not frozen.
  • When the masa is firm enough, take a tablespoon of meat in your hands and roll it like a small hot dog and continue until you’ve made approximately 16 croquettes. If you make them small/party size, you’ll end up with roughly 30-35 of them. Place the croquettes in a container that will fit in your freezer, using a sheet of wax paper in between the stacks.

Breading and Frying

  • Beat the two eggs and spread the cracker meal on a plate or shallow surface. Dip croquettes in the egg, then cracker meal, twice.
  • Heat the oil in a pan or deep fryer to 375 degrees. Fry croquettes until golden brown. Transfer from pan to paper towels, to soak up excess oil.
  • Enjoy!