In the South American countries, there are a few versions of shredded beef. This version is a Venezuelan version – however you can doctor your version up to how you like it. This is a very simple recipe – it has some steps – however, I am sure that you will find it delicious.
The time in this recipe is from boiling the meat and then shredding it. Once your past that point, this is wicked easy. To make it easier and of course more tastier, I suggest you purchase flank steak, and I follow the instructions from the original recipe and boil my meat the night before and then place the shredded meat in the fridge (covered of course) for the next day.
For shredding I use a Meat Rake. What is a Meatrake?
Of course you can use two forks and do your business. However, if you are going to start barbecuing and want to do shredded meat sandwiches – this is the tool you wan’t to get your hands on. Best of all they are only $20. I purchased 2 and saved $2 – and that way if one set is dirty… I am still in business.
You can check MeatRake out at their website. You can get the recipe for Carne Mechada below :D. Enjoy!
Carne Mechada
Ingredients
- 2 LBS Skirt Steak
- 2 Medium Onions
- 1 Red Pepper
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Pinch Cumin
- 4 Teaspoons Tomato Puree
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preparation
- Boil the Beef
- Place the beef in a large saucepan with enough water to cover it.
- Bring the meat to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove from the heat and leave and allow to cool.
- Set aside the water.
- Shred the beef into strands with a knife or meat rake (or two forks) until all the beef is shredded.
- Make the Sofrito
- Chop and dice the onion and bell pepper.
- Crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar or in a garlic crusher (mince fine and then crush with the blade of your knife with salt)
- Preparing the Dish
- Heat 4 teaspoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and allow them to start to brown. Then add your garlic, bell peppers, a pitch of salt, black pepper and the cumin.
- Add the shredded beef and stir, allow to brown a little.
- Add some of the beef cooking liquid, the tomato puree and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir frequently as you bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the temp to a simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
- Serve with rice and beans or make a sandwich and serve it in an Arepa.
