Cuban Style Beef Soup Food

CUBAN-STYLE BEEF SOUP

Steps:

• Place the beef in a large zip top bag. Add the salt, cumin, oregano and pepper, massage the beef a bit to distribute the seasoning well. Add the flour to the bag, seal tightly without removing the air. Shake the bag well to coat the beef with the flour.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions. Cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
• Add the beef to the pot, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to brown on all sides.
• When the beef is browned, add the white wine and stir, gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomato sauce, beef broth and water, stir well. Raise the heat to high, when the liquid begins to boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot, raise the heat to high, when the liquid comes back to boil lower the heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, uncover the pot the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time to allow the soup to thicken a little bit.
• Before serving, taste the soup and add salt, only if needed.
• To serve, add white rice to the bottom of a bowl, top with a generous serving of the Cuban-style beef soup.

POTAJE DE GARBANZOS (CUBAN GARBANZO BEAN STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, Sazón seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darker in color and thickened, about 1 minute. Add the vino seco to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
• Add the garbanzo beans, potatoes, chorizo and 5 cups of water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are very soft, about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes have softened, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of them against the side of the pot to thicken the stew. Serve the stew over hot rice, if desired.

AJIACO: CUBAN SOUP MADE WITH BEEF, PORK, AND TROPICAL VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Drain and rinse the tasajo. Place into a large pot, cover with fresh water and cook until almost tender. Add the pork cubes and cook until both meats are completely tender. Drain the meat, reserving 8 cups of the cooking liquid.
• In a tall stockpot, add all the vegetables, except for the pumpkin and the yellow plantain, all the meat stocks, bay leaves and cumin. Cook for approximately 30 minutes and add the pumpkin and yellow plantain. Cook for 15 minutes. Allow it to rest for a few minutes. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
• Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.