Caribbean: Venezuela: Venezuelan Carne menchada (Shredded Beef)
INGREDIENTS:
For the Beef:
2 lb skirt steak, or flank steak*
1 onion, quartered
For the Sauce:
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, quartered and sliced
2 red bell peppers, quartered and sliced
3 garlic cloves,
2 tomatoes, diced (about 3 c)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp cumin
2 c reserved beef cooking broth
INSTRUCTIONS:
Pre-cook and shred the meat:
Trim the meat, if necessary, and cut it into 4 pieces. Place the pieces in a medium soup pot and cover them with water. Add 1 quartered onion and simmer for 2 hours, removing any foam that may float to the top.
Once cooked, remove the beef from the water and let it cool slightly. (Reserve 2 c of the cooking broth.)
Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks. Set aside.
Make the sauce and season the meat:
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan with high sides over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 min until the onions are soft.
Add the diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cumin. Mix well.
Add the shredded meat and 2 c of the meat broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 min. (If you are serving your carne mechada with rice and beans, classic
Notes:
If skirt steak or flank steak are quite pricy in your area, like they are ours, you can also make this recipe using a chuck roast. If using chuck, you will want to simmer the roast for 3-4 hours, to let the tougher cut get a bit more tender.
Pooking the meat can be done a day ahead. Just be sure to reserve the cooking liquid that you will need for the sauce. And you will want to shred the meat before refrigerating it in a sealed container overnight, since the meat shreds better when slightly warm.
