The Porkchop Express

The first thing that drew me to the Soler tent at the Red Hook Soccer Fields was the menu. For one, it was actually a menu (only the second I have seen in these parts). And it advertised good things: papusas and tamales. So I ordered a papusa revuelta (with pork and cheese), and dug in.

por favor...

un papusa

This looked good, an enticing, greasy, spicy snack, and our curiosity was piqued. Papusas–grilled cornmeal cakes stuffed with savory fillings (in this case, spicy ground pork and melted whole-milk mozzarella, served with pickled cabbage) are Salvadoran, while tamales are Mexican. And several other dishes looked straight Carribean. What form of flavor-miscegenation was this? To get the scoop, The Porkchop Express shot the breeze with the man behind the stand.

Rafael Soler actually hails from the Dominican Republic. He set up shop about 5 years back, hoping to offer Latin food–not just Dominican or Salvadoran or Mexican, but the whole damn diaspora. A quick glance around reveals the fruits of his vision: there are a ton of eats. Steak on the grill, sweet plantains bubbling in a big drum of oil, chicken and cassava frying, trays of white rice and black beans, jars of pickled onions and sliced jalepenos... not to mention the papusas and tamales.

It's no mean feat to bring a NYC "comida hispana"-style restaurant to the Red Hook tents, but Rafael has succeeded. With a good deal of hard work, I should add. He lives in Long Island, and starts his weekend days at 5 in the morning, packing up the van and heading out to Brooklyn.

man with a plan: Rafael Soler works the grill

Talking to the man, you really wouldn't know he pulls 16-hour shifts. Rafael is exceptionally friendly, attentive to both his food and his customers. Take one time, about a month back, when he had just started making pina colada. His wife thought it was a waste of time, but he was pleased with the results. And he took a few minutes to tell the story, building his case for this classic DR recipe before pouring a cup. The enthusiasm was infectious: this was a light, sweet tonic, and tasted great on a balmy Brooklyn day.

If there is a speciality here, it has to be the meat. Rafael spends most of his time tossing slabs of marinated chuck on a charcoal grate, flipping and slicing with a mini-machete. We asked for ours medium, and had fun pulling nice smoky, beefy chunks from the bone. Served with delicious sweet plantains, nicely fried cassava, soupy black beans and white rice, this was one satisfying meal.

One of many satisfying meals, I should add. With something for everyone, and good cheer to boot, this bustling tent offers a slice of genuine Dominican hospitality right in Red Hook.