Gizzards and Green Bananas - Dominican Style

Searching for gizzard recipes, like I do, I ran across a comment to a question about what to do with them. It was simply; braised with onions, peppers, green olives, and green bananas - Dominican style.

I haven't cooked vary many Caribbean recipes. I have made jerk chicken and tostones. I think that's about it. I do know that the preferred method for green bananas is to boil them, skin on (easy) or off (more difficult) for about 20 minutes or done. I know that gizzards benefit from a long braise. I read that oregano and cilantro and lime are traditional Dominican ingredients. So I developed a plan and it went a little something like this;

Gizzards and Green Bananas - Dominican Style

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 large red bell pepper, sliced thinly
3 Serrano peppers, minced
1 cup or so red wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package gizzards
3 green bananas, peeled and broken into big pieces
1 teaspoon salt
chopped cilantro and halved limes for garnish

Heat oil over high heat in small soup pot. Add onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown.

Add wine, garlic, oregano, gizzards, bananas and salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about an hour (or more depending on how tender you like your gizzards).

Taste for salt and reseason if necessary. Eat the whole batch over the course of the evening. (!)

I was really surprised at how good this smelled while cooking and completely delighted with the flavor. If I was serving this and not eating it myself at the cutting board, I would have served it with rice.

Please note that it is impossible to take a pretty picture of something long cooked with gizzards.

Shrimp13