Vaca Frita

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

Sticking with the springtime theme it's time to take a trip to Miami...thru my kitchen. With lot's of spring breakers down in South Florida this month, the smart ones are seeking out great Cuban food which Miami has plenty of. I had a taste for some classic Cuban cuisine this past winter and decided to make some vaca frita one Sunday for the football games. Vaca frita literally means fried cow and it's a takeoff of the classic Cuban dish ropa vieja. I would highly recommend trying this one day when you want something other than a grilled steak with big beef flavor with not much work involved.

Vaca Frita (Serves 4-6)

- 2-3 lbs of Flank steak
- 1 large Spanish onion, sliced thinly
- 2 oranges and three limes and fresh garlic
- White rice and Black beans
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1) I got some flank steak on sale and cut it down into cubes


Cubed flank steak

2) I then cooked the steak cubes in a pot with water for an hour or so and let them cool.


Cooked beef chunks

3) After they weren't too hot to handle I shredded them down into pieces and marinated it in fresh squeezed orange and lime juice (save one lime for later) and placed it in the fridge during the games (a few hours).


Shredded beef marinating in juice

4) Start out by adding some bacon grease or oil into a pan and saute the sliced onions until done and set them aside. Add more oil into the pan (not too much) along with come chopped garlic and handful by handful throw the shredded beef into the pan and let it fry for two or three minutes. Remove and repeat until done. Once all the beef is cooked set it aside and squeeze some more fresh lime juice on top of it and toss.


Spanish Onion sauteing away


fried beef and sauteed onions...all is well

5) Serve with rice and black beans. I also did up some 'Cuban' potatoes which I cooked in bacon grease and sauteed with chopped bell peppers, onions, garlic and more bacon. I felt like I was on the island that night despite the fact it was freezing cold outside.


Vaca Frita for Dinner
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See ya next time on S'C'&C.