AI-generated image
Vaca frita
Crisp fried shredded beef
Vaca frita: Havana's crisp-fried shredded beef with lime, garlic and onion
Vaca frita, "fried cow", is Havana's crisp cousin of ropa vieja: flank steak is simmered until tender, shredded, marinated in sour lime and garlic, then fried in a hot pan with onions until the edges turn brown and crackly. Families make it the day after boiling beef for soup, and serve it with rice, black beans and plantain. The usual mistake is crowding the pan, which steams the meat instead of crisping it, so fry in batches and press it down. Chef's tip: let the shredded beef dry uncovered in the fridge for an hour before frying; the drier it is, the crisper it gets.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 ¾ lb beef flank steakcut into 3 large pieces
- 1 onionhalved
- 2 litres water
- 1 ½ tsp saltdivided
For the marinade and frying
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb beef flank steak, 1 onion, 2 bay leaves, 2 litres water and two-thirds of 1 tsp salt in a pot, bring to the boil, skim, then simmer partly covered for 90 minutes, until the meat pulls apart easily. Keep the broth for soup.
95 minStep 2: Lift out the beef, cool for 15 minutes and shred it along the grain into thin strips.
15 minStep 3: Toss the shreds with 6 garlic cloves, 4 tbsp lime juice, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp black pepper and the rest of ½ tsp salt. Spread on a tray and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to a day.
30 minStep 4: Heat half of 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry half of 2 onions for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to brown.
5 minStep 5: Add half the beef, press it flat and fry without stirring for 4 minutes, until crisp underneath. Turn in sections and fry 3 minutes more. Repeat with the rest of the oil, onion and beef.
14 minStep 6: Serve hot with lime wedges, rice and black beans.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vaca frita take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian