Stewed Dominican Salami that’s quick to make and full of flavor
Growing up in NYC, my family did not have a lot of money. In fact, my grandmother’s main focus throughout the week was figuring out how to make the most of dinners. How can she stretch chicken, beef, and pork to feed 8 of us?
Dinners at the beginning of the month were always much more robust. We enjoyed Pollo Guisado, Carne Guisada and even Bistec Encebollado. These classic Dominican dishes, which unbeknownst to 6 year-old me, were expensive dishes when feeding a large family. Funny enough, while I loved these dinners. Nothing compared to the excitement that my cousins and I would have when it was Salami Guisado Night.
Salami Guisado is a stewed Dominican Sausage Dish made with onions, peppers, and tomato sauce. It’s considered a poor man’s dish, but it’s truly out of the world. In fact, many dishes that are “poor man’s meals” are now some of my favorites. Growing up, I had no idea that my family was struggling or that there were any money woes.
We lived a full, happy, and vibrant life. I lived with my mom, grandparents, and my aunts. The food was plentiful, and I had no clue that the dinner menu changed towards the end of the month. I remember being a full blown adult when I learned that this dish was considered, “humble.”
It’s humble because it’s not a piece of chicken or steak. Instead it’s a classic Dominican Sausage that we love to fry up for breakfast or lunch. Better yet, we also stew it with fresh veggies and serve with plantains, yuca or rice.
Salami Guisado is actually one of my husband’s favorite dishes because it’s full of flavor. Now be warned, you MUST make this dish with Dominican Salami. Otherwise, it just doesn’t hit the same way. Dominican Salami is unique in flavor, and even different brands of Dominican Salami have a loyal following.
In our house, are 100% team Salami Campesino and Induveca. There are many other brands, but these are the two that we always go back and forth between.
In addition to Dominican Salami being unique in flavor, different brands can also be rather salty. This is super important when making Salami Guisado. Unlike Locrio de Salami, which is Dominican Style Jambalaya made with rice, Salami Guisado is a stew. In locrio, the saltiness of the salami is absorbed by the rice and adds to the overall flavor.
When making Salami Guisado, you want to be mindful of just how much salt you add. You honestly may not even need it depending on the brand of Dominican Salami that you use. I personally think it’s better to add than to take away so I tend to add any extra salt that it may need towards the end.
Now Salami Guisado is defined by the delicious tomato sauce. I always recommend making this dish extra saucey so that it coats rice, plantains, or yuca perfectly. When I shared this dish on my YouTube Channel and Instagram, I had no idea that people felt as strongly about this dish as I do. It brings back happy memories or my grandmother yelling at my cousins and I to get into the house. She would insist that we eat when the food was hot, otherwise we’d miss dinner altogether.
This dish is comforting in so many ways. Despite its status as a “humble” dish, I’d argue that it has rockstar status. It’s extremely easy to make, economical, and you typically have most of the ingredients on hand. It’s actually my go to dish whenever I need to get dinner on the table QUICK. I can whip this up in 15 minutes or less. If anything, I usually have to time my plantains and yuca because they take longer to cook than the Salami Guisado.
Luckily, the wait is ALWAYS worth it! Enjoy some of this authentic Dominican yumminess yourself and check out my video on How to Make Dominican Salami Guisado!
… and now for the recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 cups Diced Dominican Salami
- 1 Small Red or White Onion Sliced
- ½ Red & Green Pepper Sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 tsp DR Orégano
- 1 tbsp Sazón
- ½ tsp Chicken Bouillon Cube
- 1 tbsp Spanish Olives
- ¼ cup Tomato paste
- ½ cup Tomato sauce
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 ½ tbsp Cilantro Chopped
- ¼ tsp Tobasco - optional
Instructions
- Diced Dominican Salami into medium sized pieces and set aside. Then dice onions and peppers and set aside as well. Note: you can also choose to slice the onions and peppers vs. dicing.
- In a deep sided skillet, set flame to medium high and add 1 tsp of olive or canola oil. Then add Dominican Salami. Cook the Salami for about 5-7 minutes until they brown on all sides. Make sure to stir occasionally so that the salami brown evenly Note that the salami will release its own oils. Use a tiny bit of oil and feel free to add more if needed as you cook
- Once the salami has browned on all sides, add diced onions, peppers, and garlic. Stir and saute together for 3 minutes. Then add Dominican orégano, chicken bouillon cube or kosher salt (if applicable), and sazón con achiote. Mix together until well combined
- Next add tomato paste and tomato sauce. Be sure to work in tomato paste as much as possible, then add water. Combine the water with the salami until it creates a consistent sauce.
- Lastly, add fresh cilantro and Spanish olives, and work into the sauce for a vibrant flavor. Before turning off the stove, add a touch of white distilled vinegar. Then turn off and let Salami Guisado sit for 5 minutes before serving warm over your favorite starch.