meat
Margarita's Favorite Recipes

VACA FRITA

I just tried this Cuban dish this week and it was a definite success. Pay no attention to its name (fried cow), and try it. It's light adapted from the Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors (a really good book - which I recommend). It's also rather simple to make, though it requires overnight marination. The Frugal Gourmet says the dish originates with the La Teresita Cuban Restaurant in Tampa, Florida.


serves 4

2 lbs flank steak 
2 whole bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
water

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

sherry/kirsh
olive oil

Place the steak in a large pot, cover with water and
add bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley. Simmer, covered,
for about 1 1/2 hours. Place beef in simmering liquid in
the fridge for several hours, or overnight (recommended).

Cut the meat into four steaks (across the grain).  Pound it
with a meat pouner until it expands about 50%.  

Mix the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper (the original recipe
also calls for 1 tsp of onion powder, which I ommitted).
Rub the mixture into the steak.  Splash sherry on each
steak (I didn't have sherry, and used kirsh, which worked
wondefully).  Leave to marinate.

Heat olive oil in a pan, and fry each steak until its brown
on the outside and warm in the inside - this should only take
a few minutes.

The originally recipe called for this to be served with
lightly fried sliced onions and green peppers - but I didn't
like it with them.

The meat on the other hand is heavenly.  Very, very tender
and it has a wonderful flavour.  Flank steak has a funky
consistency, but the taste makes up for it.



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