Best Vaca Frita With A Tropical Tuber Hash Cake And Caramelized Onions Recipes

VACA FRITA (PAN-FRIED BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut 1 onion in half and thinly slice the remaining onion. Set aside.
• Combine flank steak, halved onion, bell pepper, and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer until meat is easily shredded with 2 forks, about 20 minutes. Transfer flank steak to a work surface and let cool, about 10 minutes. Strain beef broth and save for another use. Shred cooled meat using 2 forks and place into a separate bowl.
• Mix garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another bowl. Apply paste onto the meat, along with lime juice, olive oil, and sliced onion. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Working in small batches, spread shredded beef in a thin layer into the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning once or twice, until sizzling and crispy, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and serve with lime wedges.

VACA FRITA

Steps:

• To a large pot, add steak, bay leaves, carrot, tomato, cumin, and oregano and cover with water. Boil the meat until it becomes tender, then remove from the liquid, and shred the meat. Into a very hot saute pan pour 1/8 cup olive oil, then add the meat, making sure to spread it out evenly. Flip it over and cook until both sides become crispy. In a separate pan, add the remaining oil and cook the onions until caramelized, then mix in the meat, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Remove a small slice from both stem and root end of each pearl onion and peel them. An alternate way is to parboil them for 2 minutes, drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Pop the skins off by pressing the onion at its root end.
• Set the onions in a saucepan wide enough to accommodate them in one layer and barely cover them with water. Boil over high heat for 10 minutes until partially cooked. Add the butter and sugar and continue to boil until the water has evaporated and the onions begin to sizzle.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and shake the saucepan and turn the onions in the butter and sugar to brown them. Continue to cook until the onions are glazed, brown and syrupy looking. Add a tablespoonful or more of balsamic vinegar and cook until evaporated. Season well with salt and pepper.

RICE-HASH CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. When hot and bubbly, and the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the beef, potato and mushrooms and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, mix in the rice, sprinkle with the flour and then with the broth. Mix in the egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Lightly butter a baking sheet. Using a lightly oiled bowl for a mold, pack about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into a lightly oiled small bowl and turn out onto the baking dish. Repeat 3 times for 4 hash cakes.
• Alternatively, these can be hand shaped. Lightly dusted with additional flour and sauteed in your grandmother's heirloom cast iron skillet.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and toss to coat with butter. Cover and slowly cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until a golden Color is reached. Turn heat up to medium high and begin to brown the onions, stirring constantly about 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

MINI CUBAN BURGERS (FRITAS)

Steps:

• Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Cover with milk and soak for 2 minutes. Add the onion, the beaten egg, ground beef, lime juice, ketchup, garlic powder, salt, and paprika and work the ingredients together with your hands or a wooden spoon just until combined. Form the mixture into 12 small 1-inch thick patties and refrigerate them for at least 45 minutes or up to 8 hours.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1/2 of the burgers and brown them on each side, flipping with spatula, 5 to 7 minutes. Set the fritas on the rolls and cook the remaining burgers. Serve with generous amounts of ketchup.