Shredded Cuban Beef Dinner

Sunday we went to Ethiopia.  Today we’re off to Cuba!  Below are recipes for Vaca Frita, moros y cristianos, and tostones – translation?  Cuban shredded beef, black rice (rice and black beans) and fried green plantains –

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Really delicious meal!  Here’s how it’s made…

Vaca Frita

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What you need:

• 1 pounds beef – any cut works, but I used a chuck
• Beef broth (enough to cover the beef in the crock-pot
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• lime wedges

How to Do it:

Cut the beef into chunks and put in a crockpot.  Put enough beef broth in and cover.  Cook until it falls apart – about 8 hours on low.

When the beef is done, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until they are soft.  Add the beef and fry on medium-high until it starts to crisp a little.  Add the remaining ingredients (except lime wedges) and simmer until the liquid evaporates.  Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4

moros y cristianos

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What you need:

• ½ white onion, chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can of black beans, with liquid
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup uncooked rice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• pinch of saffron
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf

 

How to Do it:

Sautee the onion and bell pepper in the olive oil until it starts to soften.  Add the can of beans with the liquid.  Using a garlic press, add the garlic.  ^[4]

Mix well.  Add all the remaining ingredients and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked through, about 35-40 minutes.  Serve hot!

Serves 4-6

Tostones

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What you need:

• 4 green plantains
• Olive oil
• Salt

NOTE:  Plantains will begin to yellow on the shelf.  Purchase them within a day of cooking them so they stay green!

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How to Do it:

Remove the peel from the plantains by removing the ends and carefully cutting the peel away.    ^{[7] [8]}

Some may peel easily, but I used a knife (it was easiest).

Cut the fruit into 1 to 1 ½ inch chunks.

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Most recipes call for deep frying, but unless you keep all the oil sitting around ready, it’s a lot more work than I wanted to do!  I just put about ½ inch of oil in the pan and fried them up that way.  Make sure you fry all sides until they are light golden brown.

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Remove from the oil and let cool.  When they are cool enough to handles, smash them flat with a pan, tortilla press, or, as I did, a flat-bottomed glass.   ^[11]

Put the disks back into the oil and fry until golden.  Sprinkle with salt and serve.

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Serves 4

Enjoy!

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And tomorrow – it’s Thai Chicken with Peanut Noodles!