Venezuelan Shredded Beef

Buster's friend's Note:

Similar to Cuban ropa vieja, this hearty dish is part of a pabellon (''flag plate'') along with black beans, white rice seasoned with onion and peppers, and slices of fried ripe plantain. Or serve with roasted or mashed potatoes or stuffed into arepas. Found this treasure appropriately enough in the Miami Herald who adapted it from The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac, (Harvard Common Press, 2003).

• Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 ½ lbs flank steaks , trimmed of fat and cut into 4 pieces
• 3 yellow onions , and 2 finely chopped (1 halved and sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup, about 2 cups)
• 1 cup beef broth (homemade or canned, as needed)
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 red bell pepper , seeded and chopped
• 2 large tomatoes , ripe but firm (about 1 pound)
• salt
• black pepper , freshly ground, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the meat and sliced onions in a 4-quart saucepan with beef broth to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork, about 1 ½ hours. Let cool in stock. Remove meat and shred with your fingers. Strain the stock and set aside.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the shredded meat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the paprika, chopped onions, garlic, bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have formed a sauce, about 20 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, and some of the reserved stock a little at a time; the meat should be juicy. Taste for salt and pepper.