Caibarién is a port city in Cuba, part of the Villa Clara Province, famous for its restaurants that serve a delicious dish called 'Salsa de Perro' prepared with dogfish; named for its somewhat peculiar appearance with a long snout for easily catching its prey.
A Delicious Fish
It is a highly prized fish in Cuba for its white flesh and rich flavor, sought after by chefs to prepare the best dishes, including 'Salsa de Perro,' which originated from those chance occurrences that sometimes yield great results.
As the story goes, one day the fishermen were not very lucky in catching snappers and only managed to catch dogfish in their nets.
The owner of a restaurant in Caibarién panicked because he couldn't get snappers and realized that the dogfish meat couldn't be fried or cooked like snappers.
Cooking in the Street
Therefore, the elderly chef decided to slice it, make a broth with potato slices, and let it simmer slowly. But as several customers arrived at his restaurant, he forgot about the broth that was on the stove.
When he was about to close the restaurant, a very hungry man with little money begged him to sell him something to eat.
The old chef remembered that broth, still simmering, and when he uncovered the pot, he noticed that the broth had thickened into a sauce-like consistency, but white, and to his surprise, the fish slices were still intact.
Ropa Vieja
For lovers of Cuban home cooking, Ropa Vieja is one of the top dishes. It is a traditional dish from the island that allows for a wide variety of preparations, adapted to the available ingredients.
When he brought the dish to the table, he christened it 'Salsa de Perro.'
