Chorizo sausage and beef filet star in Filete Salteado

SARASOTA, Fla. — It’s the oldest restaurant in Sarasota, opening in December 1959.

We’re talking about the Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Circle. And yes — it’s part of Ybor City’s Columbia Restaurant group owned by the Gonzmart family.

The restaurant offers Spanish dishes influenced by Cuban ties.

Executive Chef Jesus Padilla shares a recipe for Filete Salteado, a Spanish version of a stir fry.

Chinese indentured servants in Cuba left their mark on the cuisine. And it added another people’s culture to the Columbia’s menu.

Filete Salteado

1 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic, chopped
1/2 oz. chorizo, sliced lengthwise and cut 1/4-inch diagonally
6 oz. beef bistro filet, cut into 1-inch-by-1-inch pieces
Columbia seasoning, to taste
3 oz. mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch width
1 1/2 oz. green peppers, sliced 1/4-inch julienne
1 1/2 oz. Spanish onions, sliced 3/4-inch julienne
2 oz. potatoes, 3/4-inch diced and pre-blanched
1 oz. red wine
4 oz. Boliche sauce, or brown gravy
6 oz. yellow rice, optional
Peas and pimentos for garnish

Directions:

Heat oil in sauté pan.
Sprinkle beef with Columbia seasoning.
Add chorizo and seasoned beef.
Add garlic.
Sauté until meat and garlic browns.
Add mushrooms, peppers and onions.
Add potatoes and sauté approximately one minute.
Deglaze with red wine.
Add boliche sauce or gravy and heat through.
Serve with yellow rice, peas and pimentos. Place cooked mixture on plate.
Yields one serving.