This Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe is amazing! It’s tender, juicy and so flavorful. Make a big batch and you can have something different with it for days.
This past weekend my native country Venezuela celebrated its Independence Day. It’s sad to say but today, over 200 years later, my beautiful country is fighting to achieve their freedom again. It is extremely difficult for us to see how the situation has deteriorated in recent years. It is even harder knowing that our family, who still lives there, has to struggle, every day, with the simplest things like buying food. Even though, we LOVE and celebrate our adopted country, which has given us so many wonderful things, our hearts aches for Venezuela.
Politics really sucks!
But for me, Venezuela is much more than the unfortunate circumstances in which it lives now. It is the country of my birth, my family, my childhood, my memories, and my love. I hope and pray to see it free and prosperous again very soon.
As a tribute to my beautiful Venezuela today I share my recipe for Carne Mechada!
The shredded beef is part of Venezuela’s national dish “Pabellon Criollo“; which consists of shredded beef, black beans, white rice, and fried plantains. Usually, this dish is accompanied by arepitas and white cheese. This dish is a hearty combo. Some people even add a fried egg over the rice, but I’ve never eaten it like that.
Seriously, this meat is delicious!
Juicy and full of flavor…Super good.
When I prepare it I always double the recipe, and if there are leftovers, I freeze it, and then we eat it with arepas or I make empanadas.
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Venezuelan Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb flank or skirt steak
- 6-8 cups beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped into small cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can (6oz) tomato paste
- 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 4 pieces.
- Place beef broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. At first boil, add the meat and cook for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover and let it cook for about 2 hours, or until meat is fully cooked and tender. As the meat cooks check the broth levels and add more if needed (meat should always be covered by the broth).
- When the meat is tender and fully cooked carefully removed from the pot, place on a plate, and let it cool. Reserve broth (about 3-4 cups).
- Once the meat is cool enough sheered using two forks or your hands.
- In a large skillet over medium heat the oil. Sauté onion and pepper for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add garlic and let it cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in shredded beef and mix well.
- In a medium bowl combine tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, sauce, cumin, oregano, and reserved beef broth; mix well until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat. Add the bay leaves, cover and cook for 20 -25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been consumed.
- Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
Slow Cooker Instruction:
- Cut the meat into 4 pieces. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer beef to a slow cooker.
- Combine ½ cup beef broth, tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and dried oregano in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add onion, peppers, garlic, and bay leaves. Mix to combine.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Shred beef with two forks and toss to coat with the juices
- Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
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