Vaca Frita con Moros y Cristianos

English translation:  yum.
Vaca Frita is by far my favorite Cuban food, and what better to serve it with than black beans and rice.  Oh, and some fried, ripe plantains.  I'm going to cook this up when Mom, Karen and Laura come down from Bothell tomorrow night.  I can't wait!


Vaca Frita

1/2 head garlic – smash the cloves

3 Roma tomatoes – quartered

1 large onion – cut in large wedges

1 green bell pepper – cut in strips

1 teaspoon of Sazón or other Latin seasoning mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 lbs Beef Flank Steak

Water to cover the ingredients

1 large onion – thinly sliced

3 heaping teaspoons minced garlic

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon salt

Olive Oil to coat the pan

Cut the meat vertically, with the grain, in half or thirds (depending on its width).  Add the meat, vegetables and seasoning to pot.  Add the water to cover the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for at least an hour, or until fork tender.  You can also cook this in a crockpot on low for 8 hours.

Remove from heat, and set meat aside – shred using your hands and/or a fork.

Add salt, garlic, half of the sliced  onions, and the lime juice.  Coat a frying pan with olive oil, and add mixture to the cold pan without first heating the oil. 

On medium heat stir the meat constantly, adding additional onions and more oil gradually as needed.

Once the onions are soft and the meat cooked, raise the heat and sear the meat until it’s slightly brown and crispy.

Moros y Cristianos

Yields 8 servings

1 1/2 cups dried black beans

1/4 cup olive oil for sautéing

2 1/2 cups white onion, diced

2 1/2 cups green peppers, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

3 cups long-grain white rice

Cover the dry beans with about four cups water in a two-quart saucepan. DON’T add any salt yet! Bring to a boil, and boil for three minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand, covered for one hour.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add enough water to cover once again and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Drain.

Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear.

Use a large, eight-quart covered stockpot. Sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil until tender. Add the garlic, and sauté another minute or two. Add the tomato paste, black beans, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and vinegar. Cook for about five minutes, stirring gently.

Add the chicken stock and the rinsed rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes -- until the rice is fully cooked.

Finally, adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf. Serve Hot.

For an added treat: Drizzle some olive oil (don’t be stingy!) over the rice in the pot, and fluff cooked rice gently with a fork.

If plating the rice as a side dish, drizzle a little olive oil over individual servings and garnish with some parsley or cilantro.

Plantanos Maduros

3 very ripe plantains (heavy black spotting to a fully black skin)

lard, vegetable shortening, or oil to cover half the thickness of plantains

Peel and bias cut (diagonal) into one-inch thick slices. Heat the oil until medium hot -- a drop of water will sizzle.

Fry the pieces briefly, about a minute or two per side. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, turning occasionally until they are brown and caramelized.

Another variation is to lightly roll the plantain slices in white or brown sugar before frying.