La Mesa Boricua

30 essential Puerto Rican recipes — every dish bilingual, tested, and made to be cooked anywhere in the world.

Sample — 4 recipes inside

The Complete Boricua Cookbook • Sofrito — Cocina Boricua

Lo que hay dentro

What's inside

Six chapters, thirty recipes. Every one in English & Spanish, with tested ratios and pantry shortcuts.

1 · Bases & SazónSofrito · recaito · sazón · adobo

2 · Arroz & GranosArroz blanco · con gandules · con pollo · mampostiao

3 · Guisos & Main DishesHabichuelas · pollo guisado · carne guisada · pernil

4 · Frituras & SidesTostones · amarillos · alcapurrias · bacalaítos

5 · HolidaysNochebuena pernil · pasteles · gandules · coquito

6 · Dulces & BebidasCoquito · tembleque · flan · arroz con dulce

Plus: ingredient finder · pantry checklist · batch sofrito plan · holiday menu builder

Before you cook

The Ingredient Finder

Boricua cooking on the mainland. These swaps keep the flavor authentic when the original is hard to find.

Ingredient	What it is	Mainland swap
Culantro (recao)	Long-leaf herb — the backbone of sofrito	2 parts cilantro + 1 small green bell pepper
Ají dulce	Sweet, fruity little chili	Green bell pepper + pinch of habanero
Sazón	Seasoning blend for color & depth	¼ tsp each garlic powder, cumin, coriander + annatto
Adobo	All-purpose seasoning rub	Salt + garlic powder + pepper + oregano
Green plantains	Starchy, unripe — for tostones & mofongo	Most Latino grocers; green bananas in a pinch
Alcaparrado	Olives + capers + pimento	Green olives + capers

Pro tip: batch your sofrito and freeze it in ice-cube trays. One cube per dish — Monday's arroz con pollo tastes like abuela's Sunday.

Arroz con Pollo

Yellow chicken & rice — el clásico de todos los domingos

Makes: 6 servingsTime: 45 minLevel: EasyIngredient: 1 sofrito cube

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 sofrito cube (page 6)
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
1 packet sazón with annatto
2 cups medium-grain rice
3 cups chicken broth, hot
½ cup alcaparrado
Salt, black pepper & oregano

Steps

Heat the oil over medium-high. Season the chicken with sazón, salt, pepper and a pinch of oregano.
Brown the chicken, skin-side down, 4–5 minutes per side. Set aside.
In the same pot, cook the sofrito cube 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the rice and stir to coat every grain with color. Add the alcaparrado.
Return the chicken to the pot, pour in the hot broth, and bring to a boil.
Cover, lower the heat, and cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
Rest 5 minutes off the heat. Fluff and serve.

En español · The short version

Dora el pollo con sazón. Sofríe el sofrito, saltea el arroz, vuelve a poner el pollo, añade el caldo caliente y tapa a fuego bajo por 20 minutos. Deja reposar 5 y esponja.

Pernil

Slow-roasted pork shoulder — el plato de Nochebuena

Makes: 12 servingsTime: 6 hrs + overnightLevel: Easy, mostly waiting

Ingredients

1 (8 lb) pork shoulder, skin scored
12 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp adobo
1 tbsp dried oregano
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup distilled vinegar
Salt & black pepper

Steps

Pound the garlic, adobo, oregano and olive oil into a paste; add the vinegar.
Rub the paste deep into the scored skin and all over the shoulder.
Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight (12–24 hours).
Roast at 300°F, uncovered, until fork-tender, 5–6 hours.
Raise to 450°F for the last 15–20 minutes to crisp the skin.
Rest 30 minutes, then pull. Serve with arroz con gandules.

En español · The short version

Adoba el pernil con la pasta de ajo la noche antes. Asa a 300°F por 5–6 horas hasta que se deshaga. Sube el horno para tostar el cuero y descansa 30 minutos antes de desmenuzar.

You've seen 4 of 30

This is just the first course.

La Mesa Boricua holds the full table: six chapters, thirty tested recipes, the ingredient finder, pantry checklist, and a holiday menu builder — all bilingual.

La Mesa Boricua — full cookbook, 30 recipes$47

+ Boricua Weeknights system$49

+ Sofrito Starter Bundle (8 cards)$37

— Buen provecho. ¡Pa'lante!