Puerto Rican Julio Cartagena is bringing his expertise to Richard Sandoval’s Pan-Latin restaurant Toro Toro, inside the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, as its new executive chef.

Cartagena appreciates Sandoval’s approach to the nuances of different Latin cuisines — so far Cartagena’s favorites are Mexican and Peruvian — but his favorite item on the menu is a smorgasbord: the Churrasco plate. The dish highlights the restaurant’s diversity with Brazilian-style Wagyu picanha steak, ribeye, barbecue chicken thigh and Colorado lamb chops.

For Cartagena, even simple ingredients create a “wow” effect at Toro Toro because they cook with the highest quality ingredients, using local sources when available. It’s an approach familiar to the chef since fresh, local ingredients were a way of life while growing up in Puerto Rico. He was raised by grandparents, who grew traditional root vegetables like cassava and taro behind the house. His grandma made the island’s essentials, achiote oil and sofrito, from scratch.

Not only did they model good cooking for the family, but at one point his grandparents had a food truck. Cartagena says this inspired him to become a cook while serving in the army for almost a decade. He later worked in and led the kitchens of two of Puerto Rico’s largest hotels before joining Toro Toro.

“You’re always going to miss home,” Cartagena says, but he appreciates the opportunities that this role provides for him and his family. His wife and children are enjoying Texas’ friendliness and the many activities near their Fort Worth home, citing the Stockyards in particular. He is also glad to be closer to his sister and mother who live in San Leon, a coastal community near Galveston.

Cartagena is incredibly proud of Toro Toro’s fresh seafood offerings.  The restaurant’s seafood is caught in the evening and shipped to Toro Toro by the next afternoon.

For Cartagena, his mood while  cooking becomes a part of the food, so happiness in the kitchen leads to bright flavors on the plates. “We look at it as a part of us going to the table,” he says.

That’s not just a philosophy; many items on Toro Toro’s menu are finished tableside, including the recipe shared with 360West, featuring a pomegranate demi-glace served on the side. 

“We like to have a sideshow most of the time with any plate we do over here,” Cartagena says.

 

Christmas Steak

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

Demi-Glace

• 16-ounce tenderloin
• 6 ounces pomegranate seeds
• 2 ounces pomegranate juice
• 24 ounces of beef demi-glace

Gratin Sweet Purple Potato 

• 4 sweet purple potatoes
• 16 ounces clarified butter
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 4 ounces agave or honey

Heirloom Carrots 

• 6 heirloom carrots 
• Salt and pepper
• Paprika, smoked and regular
• 2 ounces agave or honey
• 2 ounces of homemade or store-bought chimichurri

 

Preparation: 

Tenderloin

Portion the tenderloin into 8-ounce pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the tenderloin to the desired doneness on a wood grill.

Pomegranate Demi-Glace

Prepare a beef demi-glace and add fresh pomegranate seeds. If desired, use a bit of pomegranate juice to enhance the flavor of the demi-glace.

Purple Sweet Potato Gratin

Peel the purple sweet potatoes. Use a mandolin to slice them into thin layers for the gratin.

On a baking tray, create layers with sweet potato slices, clarified butter, a bit of agave syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Continue this process until you have 20 layers. Place a heavy object on top of the baking tray to ensure the layers stay compact and do not rise excessively.

Bake the gratin in the oven at 325 F for 35 minutes.

Heirloom Carrots

Clean the heirloom carrots thoroughly. Boil them for 5 minutes.

Season the carrots with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and regular paprika.

Grill the seasoned carrots for 7 to 9 minutes. After grilling, drizzle them with agave syrup and chimichurri.