ARTIST BERYL COOK

Day 4

Although its origins are in the Canary Islands, this meaty stew is most associated with Cuban cuisine.
The name translates literally to mean "Old Clothes". One tale suggests the name comes from a poor man making a stew from old clothes to feed his family. So full of love was this meal that the clothes were transformed into a fabulous feast.
Personally, I think it is more accurate to offer that the broth this beef is cooked in is so delicious, even a pair of worn out socks would taste fantastic.
When a friend suggested this one to me I looked down the list of ingredients - Beef, peppers, green olives, vinegar, wine and a mix of spices that all sit at the front of my spice rack. Vamos a echar un pie!

Spicy and rich, with a tangy zest that makes your lips tingle a little, this is my kind of stew.
I made this in my dutch oven in about three hours, but this one would also do well as a slow cooker recipe (particularly if your cut of meat leaves something to be desired).




RECIPE (adapted from Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS
2 Lb Flank Steak
2 Red Onions, sliced thin
2 Red Bell Peppers, sliced thin
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1 Chile pepper, minced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/3 c Green Olives, pitted and sliced
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
Heavy Pinch Salt
Dash Black Pepper
1/4 c Cider Vinegar
1/3 c Red Wine
3 c Beef Broth
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 bay leaves


DIRECTIONS
Coat the bottom of a dutch oven with olive oil and heat to high. Sear steak 2-3 minutes on each side and remove from pot.
Reduce heat to medium and add all listed ingredients listed through black pepper. Cook until soft (5-10 min),
Add vinegar and wine and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring and deglazing constantly.
Add broth, tomato paste and bay leaves and return steak to pot. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 hours.
Remove steak from pot. Shred using two forks and return to pot. Stir well and let cook another ten minutes or so,
Serve garnished with grilled tortillas and sour cream, if desired.

The latest Cook's Illustrated (Jan/Feb 2008) had an elaboration on the no-knead bread recipe that does involve a bit of kneading: 10-15 kneads, in fact, but supposedly produces much better flavor. It requires 3 oz of a mild lager light Budweiser to give it some of the yeasty flavor from a starter. I wasn't about to buy a six-pack of Budweiser just for 3 ounces of it. Icehouse was the closest substitute I could find that the grocery store would sell as a single can. Let's hope it works.

But the aroma is wonderful and I look forward to eating it with some of the Italian pot roast that's going in the slow cooker right now.