Yaroa, a dish that hails from Santiago, has become the newest classic in Dominican street food. Here's my take on it.
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Sometimes we're lucky to be alive to witness the birth of history (culinary history specifically). Yaroa is a newcomer to the street food scene in the Dominican Republic. This is a dish that checks every box in the "best street foods" checklist.
What's yaroa?
It consists of a layer of boiled and mashed ripe plantains -- or French fries -- topped with shredded or minced meat, cheese, and drizzled with mayo and ketchup [1]. Yaroa is a dish that was created and made popular in Santiago by street food vendors (carritos).
This is the quintessential street food: cheap, greasy, tasty, simple. It's the kind of thing that hits the spot after a night in town for young revelers. A spot that was, until it was created, reserved for chimi and sandwich de pierna (Dominican burger, and pork sandwich)
This dish reminds me of loaded French fries or Canadian poutine. Same concept, same devil-may-care deliciousness to them (yes, I've tried poutine).
The history
As is the case with chimi, there is some dispute as to who first created this dish. With Yaroa there is more than one vendor claiming the credit for themselves.
One thing we know for sure: It first appeared in the late 1990s in Santiago, quickly becoming popular in carritos around and near El Monumento [2][3]. Its popularity has now spread beyond its birthplace -- even debuting as part of the menu of a well known Dominican fast-food chain -- but, for the most part, it remains a Santiago delicacy.
About this recipe
Yaroa purists beware (I don't even know if such people exist, but I'm about to find out) this recipe, while paying homage to the original, is not the traditional one. If you wish to make it the traditional way, it's simple: deep fry your potato fries and use them as the base. You can also use boiled mashed plantain, as this is is the other, equally popular, version of yaroa. In that case, do not add ripe plantains to the minced meat.
Now, why reinvent the wheel? Well, I make these cepa de apio (celeriac) "fries" all the time at home, so it occurred to me that I could also use them to make yaroa. And since I already wrote a recipe for a minced meat filling that has ripe plantain in it, this will still somehow be close to the original. I tested the recipe with both celeriac fries and potato fries, and both worked, but which one you choose will be a matter of taste. You could even get adventurous and test it with sweet potato fries too, but I didn't test that myself.
So let me tell you why you need to run to make this: it's very easy to make, it's ridiculously tasty, and you can feed an army with little effort. Don't skip the ripe plantain in the meat topping. You can thank me later.
Buen provecho!
Mixed Yaroa Recipe
Ingredients
If you make celeriac fries
- 3 lb celeriac , peeled and cut into sticks [1.4 kg]
- Enough water to cover the celeriac
- 3/4 tbsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
If you make potato fries
- 24 oz potato , peeled and cut into sticks [680 g] see notes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Meat
- 2 tbsp olive oil [20g]
- 1 red onion (medium-size, minced [65 g]
- 3 cloves garlic [20g]
- 1 lb minced beef [454g]
- 1 cup tomato sauce [115g]
- 1 bell pepper (diced [76g]
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (or more, to taste), divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 sprig cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 cup diced fritos maduros (optional)
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
If you're making celeriac fries
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Microwaving the fries: Place the celeriac sticks in microwave-safe pan. Pour enough water to cover them. Microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and the water.
Whichever fries you make, continue here
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Seasoning the fries: Drizzle the potato or celeriac with the olive oil, and add the remaining salt, as well as the pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat them all in the oil and seasoning.
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Cooking the fries: Place on a baking sheet and cook in preheated oven to 350 ºF [175 ºC] for 25 minutes, or until they turn a light golden color and are crispy around the edges. If you want to make them in the air fryer, use the temperature and time suggested by the manufacturer.
Meat
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Cooking the meat: You can see the preparation (with video) for the meat in this post. Keep it warm until it's time to serve.
Assemble it
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Serving: Layer the fries onto 4 microwave-safe plates. Top with the steaming-hot meat. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar. The hot meat should melt the cheese, but if it doesn't, heat the plates in the microwave for 90 seconds, or until the cheese melts. Drizzle with mayo and ketchup and serve right away.
Video
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Reference
[1] Food Lovers - Las Populares Yaroas
[2] Listín Diario - Yaroa, Receta Urbana.
[3] Periódico Hoy - Yaroa: una novedosa delicia culinaria de la cocina cibaeña
Eso si taba bueno! I made it with potatoes in the air fryer. I. am going to try it with sweet potatoes next. Do I seanson the sweet potato the same way?