How to Cut and Cook Yucca Root

Yuca root, also known as cassava root, is an exciting ingredient you can find in many worldwide recipes. It's a very versatile vegetable, and you can make various delicious meals with it. But first, you should learn how to prepare cooked yuca the right way, so you don't encounter any snags along the way.    If you are ready to learn how to cook yuca and prepare delicious meals, keep reading this article. 

What Exactly Is a Yuca Root?   

It is a vegetable popular in many world cuisines, such as Caribbean, African, Asian, and Latin. It's a tasty, slightly nutty flavored root from the cassava plant, and you can incorporate it in many dishes.    Sometimes there's a lot of confusion around this vegetable as many people keep mistyping its name. You'll often see it spelled as yucca, which is a mistake. It's a beautiful ornamental plant, but you need to buy yuca, also known as cassava root.    Another important thing you need to pay attention to is cooking yuca because it's essential to prepare it well. And we're not mentioning it because it won't taste good prepared the wrong way. It's because the root and its leaves all have cyanogenic glucosides, which are toxic to humans. But, if you peel the root properly and cook it, you don't have to be afraid.   

How to Buy the Best Yuca Root   

We can give you a few tips on where to find the best vegetables and how to store them until you are ready to start cooking yuca. You can easily find it in Latin or Caribbean stores and the produce area of some typical grocery stores. Or if you can't find it fresh, there are peeled and precut ones in the frozen section. 

How to Tell if Yuca Is Good or Bad   

Cooked yuca will never be good and tasty if it's bad in its raw form. Raw yuca should not have a sour odor or mushy patches; always get the firm ones that smell clean and fresh. If you cut open a yuca root and you don't like what you see, as there's some discoloration or dark spots, you don't want to use it and should throw it away.

When to Use It and How to Store It   

When you find some good-looking cassava roots, you need to use them in one week if you store them in your pantry or two to three weeks if you store them in the fridge.    And you can prepare your own precut fries if you have some extra; you can peel it, cut it, and freeze it to use anytime you crave some yuca fries.

The Best Way to Prepare Yuca Root  

You need to take a few steps to ensure you'll have a delicious final meal. Cooking yuca is not difficult if you know how to prepare it well, and we will share our tips and tricks with you.   

How to Peel It  

Peeling is possibly the most challenging part of the whole process. And it is also the essential part you don't want to skip. Cassava roots seem similar to potatoes and other root vegetables, but they are slightly different. They are way sturdier and harder to peel due to their thick skin. So, it's best to forget about your vegetable peeler and use a very sharp knife for this job. Due to the thickness of the skin, you should be very careful handling the knife and peeling the skin to avoid any cuts and injuries.   First, it would be best to wash the roots and cut their ends off to make it easier to handle them. Place it on one end and peel it with a knife little by little. You need to do it until all of the brown skin is removed, and you're left with the white part of the root. If you are not confident with your knife skills, ask someone for assistance.   

How to Cut Yuca  

Once you've peeled it, the next step is to cut it. It's easy to learn how to cut yuca if you follow our steps. It's essential to remove the core of the root as it is not very tasty and it can ruin your final dish. The easiest way is to cut the yuca lengthwise into four parts. First, you'll cut it in half, then those halves in half. It will be easy to notice the core that you need to discard. Again, here you'll need to show your knife skills, but we think it's not going to be a problem. And when the core is gone, you can cut the rest of it however you like. You can cut chunky fries, or wedges, or even some slim ones; it's up to you.   

How to Cook Yuca  

Cassava root is a favorite ingredient in many cuisines because of its versatility, as you can prepare it in many ways and season it up to your taste. The taste of this root vegetable is mild, and its consistency is similar to potatoes. There are many traditional recipes, including cassava root, but you can also incorporate them in your favorite dishes where you usually use regular or sweet potatoes.    If you've made wedges or skinny fries, you can deep fry them in vegetable oil, but be sure to cook them before. It will make a huge difference and make the fries taste super delicious. For those that are not fans of deep-fried foods, you can always go with the cooked yuca as it's the healthier version. You can cook it in water or steam it. If you are still craving something crispy but want to skip using vast amounts of oil, you can always drizzle some olive oil and roast them in the oven. And let's not forget about the mashed yuca as it's even better than mashed potatoes.    Many traditional recipes call for cooked yuca. You can find them all over the internet, and some of them are cassareep, casabe, Jamaican bammies, mofongo de yuca, and yuca con mojo. You can try to make some of them or let your imagination develop something new.    If you know to boil potatoes, you'll get the grip of cooking yuca, and if you ever fried some potatoes, you'll get the hang out of frying this root vegetable as well. Remember that it's always best to first boil it before frying it.   Once you have your cooked yuca, you can use it instead of potatoes in a salad or with fish and salsa. The fries go well with garlic aioli, ranch dip, and even simple ketchup.  

The Best Yuca Fries in Miami 

And if you want to try the best yuca fries in Miami, we have to invite you to come to visit us at Stiltsville Fish Bar. Here you'll have a chance to enjoy various fish dishes made out of fresh and top-quality fish, alongside our staple sides, like spicy yuca fries. Call us today to book your reservation and enjoy the meals of the best fish restaurant in Miami.