Wednesday's Dinner, 3/5/14??

[cjs]

What's on the menu for everyone today??

Leftovers here

[Trixxee]

Went freezer diving for lunch and dinner. Lunch: pan roasted mahi-mahi. Dinner: Marinara, meatballs, cheese ravioli. I'll make a salad too and stick to a small pasta serving.

[Cubangirl]

I cooked 2 flank steaks I had in the freezer yesterday, and made real Cuban Ropa Vieja. I did the meat in the pressure cooker and cut the recipe time by at least 2 hours. It turned out great. The meat was tender and shredded easily but was not mushy. The sauce was just as I remember it, with the bell peppers still somewhat firm. I am looking forward to having it again tonight. My recipe is nothing like the one C@H had a few years ago which was shredded beef, but not Ropa Vieja.

[karyn]

We're having an old family favorite, Chicken and Green Olive Enchiladas. I found the sauce by freezer diving, so it will actually be an easy weeknight dinner.

[Gourmet_Mom]

We have church, so leftover chili for me.

[labradors]

Cubana,

It has been ages since I've had Ropa Vieja. Would you mind sharing your recipe? You know how much I appreciate the authentic ones versus the wannabes (e.g. the ones that say viejo, instead of vieja and that have way more spice than Cubans would ever use).

Thanks.

[losblanos1]

Something easy tonight. Chicken cutlets with asparagus.

[Harborwitch]

If the dough thaws out we are going to have pizza made in the waffle iron - thanks to Tracie! The repairman called this a.m. He has asked the extended warranty people to just give us a new unit . . . it could take 3 to 5 days for them to contact us. I am not a happy camper.

[Cubangirl]

Here's the pressure cooker version. Let me know if you need the regular one.

EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK

ALINA'S ROPA VIEJA - CUBAN SHREDDED BEEF PC***** Servings: 8

Can sub sherry vinegar for white wine vinegar. Can use tri-tip, London Broil or flank. The leaner the meat, the less skimming will be needed for the broth. I usually freeze my bell peppers and cut them while partially frozen, so I don't put them under the broiler. Parsley and olives are optional but I think they add to the dish. Can use part wine or beef broth for the water for the broth. Beef and Broth can be made ahead and used a couple of days later or frozen. Shred beef and freeze separately. Save broth in four ½ cup portions and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding to sauce..

This was a great dish. The PC version cut a couple of hours from the total time. The meat was not mushy and the veggies were al dente.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

FOR THE MEAT AND BROTH:
2 TBS. vegetable oil
2½ lbs. flank steak or London Broil
2 sprig parsley
3 bay leaves, divided
4 large onions, divided
4 garlic cloves, divided
2 TBS. tomato paste
1 large carrot or 10 baby carrots
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Grains of paradise
2½ cups water

FOR THE SAUCE:
2 large green bell peppers
2 large red bell peppers
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. dry leaf oregano
¾ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Bijol
2 TBS. olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup reserved beef broth (from meat above)
½ cup dry white wine
1 TBS. white wine vinegar
2 TBS. fresh parsley leaves -- minced
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives

FOR THE MEAT AND BROTH:

Cut meat into cubes about 2" pieces. Peel carrots if needed, and cut into chunks. Peel and chop 1 of the onions, and mince the remaining 3 onions and set aside. Peel all garlic cloves, leave one whole and mince the remaining 3 and set aside. Cut the bell peppers in half, core, seed and set aside for use in sauce.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat until just smoking. Reduce heat to medium and place half the meat in the pot to brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the meat to a plate; set aside., and repeat with remaining meat.

Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened and browned, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the carrots and whole garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until slightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the water, wine or broth if using, scraping up any browned bits. Add the bay leaves, parsley, browned meat with any accumulated juices, and bring to a boil. Put the cover on the pressure cooker and set to 15 lbs. Cook for 20 minutes and let pressure fall naturally. Open the pot and check to see if meat is tender enough to shred with a fork.

Transfer the meat to a platter and cool slightly; when cool enough to handle, shred into small pieces using 2 forks. Can discard the vegetables or save to add to the sauce. Discard the parsley and bay leaves. Pour the broth into a liquid measuring cup and let settle for 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard any fat that accumulates at the top of the broth; you should have about 2 cups of broth (if short, add water). Reserve ½ cup of broth for the sauce and save the rest for another use.

FOR THE SAUCE:

If you wish, you can place the green bell pepper, cut side down, on a greased cookie sheet. Put it under a hot broiler until it blisters. When it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin. Either way, cut the all bells pepper into thin strips and then cut the strips bite size, and set aside.. Mince the parsley. Use a melon balLer to to take the olives out of the jar. Chop or halve the olives.

Mash the 3 remaining minced garlic cloves and with the salt, pepper, cumin, Bijol, and oregano into a paste. A mortar and pestle works best, but you may mince the garlic finely with a knife or put it through a garlic press and mash the seasonings with a fork. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until it is translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the garlic mixture and bay leaf, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, wine, parsley and olives, and 1 TBS. vinegar, and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Stir the meat and the green pepper and red pepper strips into the sauce, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, to blend the flavors. Taste and add more vinegar if needed.

Remove the bay leaf, and serve over white rice.

Recipe Type: Alina's Adaptation, Beef, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Cuban Food, Flank Steak, Main Dish, Meat, Olives, Onions, Pressure Cooker

Author: MINE ADAPTED FROM Cook's Illustrated AND A TASTE OF CUBA
Source: A Taste of Cuba Maria Josefa Lluria De O’Higgins & Cook's Illustrated Best International Recipe
Web Page: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/...ocid=21625

User Data 11 (link): http://thymeforfood.blogspot.com/2007/08...cakes.html

[labradors]

Thanks, but I still don't have a pressure cooker, so the regular version would be better until I do get one. Sorry for the extra work.

Right now, it may not make much difference, though, since I'd have to start subbing ingredients already. Not grains of paradise here. Also, is the bijol mentioned just achiote, or is it the actual "Bijol" brand condiment with cumin, etc.? The brand is not available here, but achiote is (and I could try to add things to that if store-bought mixture is what's intended).