VACA FRITA

Vaca Frita, which means fried cow in Spanish, would seem to be the last thing you would find on the menu of a steak and potatoes place like the Mint. After all Havana is a long way from Montana but,that seems to make no difference to our customers who literally gobble up this Cuban beef classic whenever we have it as a special on our menu.

Be sure and shred the beef as finely as you can, fry it extra crispy, and serve with black beans and rice on the side and topped with fried onions. We do it with our famous deep fried onion rings to give this dish our own special treatment.

2 lbs. Flank steak or tri tip trimmed of fat.
1 onion
6 cloves fresh garlic
2 T beef base or 3 cubes beef bouillon
6-8 cups water

Combine all of these ingredients and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the beef is very tender. Set aside the broth for soup and cool the meat. With a fork, or your fingers, shred the beef along the grain as thinly as possible and marinate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

Marinade:
4 cloves fresh garlic minced
4 T fresh limejuice
2 T concentrated frozen orange juice undiluted
1 t sea salt
½ t red pepper flakes

To Finish:
½ C olive oil
1 onion very thinly sliced

Heat ½ the oil in a non-stick frying pan until smoking. Carefully add the meat (the hot oil will splatter) and sauté over high heat until crisp, about 5 or six minutes. Remove the meat to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Add the rest of the oil. When hot add the onion and fry until slightly brown. Top the meat with the onions and serve with black beans and rice. If you want more spice, add more red pepper flakes.