VACA FRITA
Over the years I’ve discovered that my favorite foods are generally those that do well with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice—pad thai, tacos, and a lot of Latin dishes like this one. Vaca frita translated into English means “fried cow,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like—delicious beef prepared on the stove and then fried until crispy. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 40 minutes
2 pounds flank steak
1 dried bay leaf
2 onions, 1 quartered and the other sliced
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
2 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus 1 lime, quartered, for garnish
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- In a large pot, cover the flank steak (you may need to cut it in half or even quarters), bay leaf, and quartered onion with enough water to cover the meat by an inch. Bring to a boil, and then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat the butter. Gently cook the sliced onion until it is very soft and dark brown, about 20 minutes.
- When the beef finishes cooking, transfer it to a platter and allow it to cool before using your hands to shred it into very thin pieces.
- Transfer the shredded beef to a large bowl, and add the garlic and lime juice. Mix well, and then allow it to marinate for 30 minutes on the counter.
- In a large skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Working in batches, fry the shredded beef in a single layer until very browned and crispy, 4 to 7 minutes per batch. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Repeat with the rest of the beef, adding more oil as necessary.
- Serve each plate of vaca frita topped with some of the sautéed onions and a wedge of fresh lime.
VARIATION 1 VACA FRITA DE POLLO: Make this recipe with chicken instead of beef, and cook it the same way (in a pot with a dried bay leaf, onion, and water), but for about 40 minutes instead of 20. Continue with the recipe as written from step 2.
VARIATION 2 VACA FRITA WITH FRIED ONIONS: If you don’t want to caramelize the onions, throw them into the bowl with the beef (in step 4), and then fry everything together.
PALEO PAIR: Vaca frita is traditionally served with white rice and some beans, so to complete the meal, serve it with a side of Cauliflower Fried Rice (here).
