Venezuelan Shredded Beef with Black Beans, Rice and Fried Plantains

What you need

• 800 g (1 3/4 lb) flank steak, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 onions, 1 quartered for the broth, 1 finely chopped for the sauce
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, 4 minced for the sauce, 3 crushed for the beans
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp for the sauce, 1/2 tsp for the beans
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 300 g (1 2/3 cups) dried black beans, rinsed
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 3 very ripe plantains, yellow with black spots, peeled
• 6 eggs, optional, for pabellon a caballo
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil, divided between the sauce, beans, rice and frying
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the steak, 1 quartered onion and 2 tsp salt in a pot with enough water to cover by 3 cm (1 in). Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until the meat shreds easily, 1 h 30 min - 2 h. Top up with hot water if the level drops.

2. 2

   Rinse the beans and put them in a separate pot with 1.2 l (5 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 1 h 30 min - 2 h, until soft and creamy. Add more hot water if they begin to dry out.

3. 3

   Lift the steak out of its broth and keep 250 ml (1 cup) of the broth. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it into thin threads.

4. 4

   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion and bell pepper until soft, about 6 min. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp cumin and cook for 1 min.

5. 5

   Add the tomatoes and oregano and cook until they break down into a thick sauce, about 8 min.

6. 6

   Add the shredded steak, the reserved broth, and pepper and salt to taste. Simmer, stirring now and then, until the pan is almost dry and the meat is deeply coloured, about 20 min.

7. 7

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat. Cook the 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp cumin for 1 min, then stir the mixture into the beans.

8. 8

   Stir the sugar into the beans and season with salt. Simmer for 10 min more, until the liquid is thick but still saucy.

9. 9

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot, add the rice and stir for 1 min. Add 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) of water and 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 min. Rest, covered, for 10 min, then fluff with a fork.

10. 10

    Slice the plantains lengthwise into strips about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the strips until deep golden and caramelised, 2-3 min per side. Drain on paper towels.

11. 11

    If using the eggs, fry them in a little oil until the whites are set, 2-3 min.

12. 12

    Serve the beef, beans, rice and plantains side by side on each plate, with a fried egg on top if you like.

Imported from goya.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.