Steamed Carne Seca Recipes

CARNE SECA ROSTI

Steps:

• Cut the top sirloin into 2-inch cutlets. Thoroughly salt the cutlets on all sides and refrigerate, covered, in a large container, adding more salt every 24 hours, until the meat is dehydrated, 3 to 5 days. Rinse the salt from the cutlets and place into a clean container. Cover with water and return to the refrigerator for 24 hours, changing the water every 4 to 6 hours.
• Cut the cutlets into big chunks and put into a pressure cooker. Fill with enough water to just cover. Cook for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure cooker to release all the pressure before opening. Transfer the meat to a bowl and pull into strips with a fork while still hot. Reserve.
• Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the meat. Add the cilantro and mix everything together well. Set the carne seca filling aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the shredded potatoes, black pepper and 2 tablespoons salt. Mix well and set aside.
• In a 7-inch nonstick skillet, scoop 8 ounces of the shredded potatoes to form the base of the rosti. Layer with about 2/3 cup of the carne seca filling and top with another 8 ounces of the shredded potatoes. Place the skillet over high heat. Drizzle vegetable oil around the rosti (enough so that you can see it sizzling on the sides). Fry until golden brown, about 7 minutes, draining the oil halfway through (see Cook's Note). Flip the rosti and repeat this process. When both sides are golden brown, transfer the rosti to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining shredded potato and carne seca filling.
• To serve, top each rosti with about 4 ounces of the Catupiry, piped in a crisscross pattern. Place 2 Sweety Drop peppers in the center and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the dried parsley.

SECO DE CARNE CON FREJOLES

Steps:

• For the beans: In a large pot, boil the beans in 1 gallon of water until soft, about 1 hour over medium heat or 1 hour 45 minutes over low heat.
• In a separate pan, caramelize the onions in the oil. Add the garlic puree, salt, cumin, black pepper and the aji panca paste. Then add 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer. Pour off some of the water from the fully cooked beans. Add the onion mixture to the beans and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes.
• For the beef: Meanwhile, combine the huacatay and cilantro in a blender and fill halfway with water. Blend until pureed. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the beef cubes with salt and pepper and sear on all sides in a large skillet. Transfer the beef to a braising pot. Next, add the onions to the skillet and cook until caramelized. Stir in the garlic puree, pepper, salt, cumin and half of the cilantro-huacatay water. Pour the contents of the skillet over the beef. Add the remaining cilantro-huacatay water and an additional 1 cup water. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then over very low heat for 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Add the aji amarillo, carrots and green beans to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Serve the beef with jasmine rice and canary beans. Garnish with red onions, cilantro and salsa criollo.

STEAMED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Melt margarine in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and bell pepper slices until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cabbage, water, garlic, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until cabbage is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Place scotch bonnet chile in the skillet and stir. Add salt and pepper. Simmer 2 or 3 minutes more.

CARNE EN SU JUGO (MEAT IN ITS JUICES)

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
• Combine the tomatillos, serrano peppers, garlic, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the contents to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. You can skip the simmering step and blend all the ingredients raw with a few pieces of browned flank steak if you like.
• Place a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; cook the flank steak in the hot skillet until completely browned. Pour the tomatillo mixture over the beef and bring to a boil. Stir the chicken bouillon into the mixture, and reduce heat to medium. Cover the skillet and simmer until tender, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the pinto beans in a saucepan over medium heat until warm; reduce heat to low to keep warm until needed. Stir the bacon and pinto beans into the flank steak mixture; divide the mixture between 6 bowls. Garnish each with onion, cilantro, black pepper, and a lime wedge.

WORTH-IT CARNE SECA

Steps:

• Place meat in a roasting pan and cover with water. You may add the optional ingredients at this point if you wish. I generally do. Cover the pan and roast it overnight at 250 to 300 degrees.
• In the morning drain the meat, reserving the broth and discarding the onion and garlic if used; the meat should be very tender when pierced with a fork. Cool the meat for at least 1 hour or until it can be handled easily.
• Using your fingers, shred meat, pulling it apart where the grain allows separation. Pull off and discard all fat, bone and gristle.
• Combine the shredded meat with salsa; let marinate overnight.
• Next day, add meat to frying pan with a little of the reserved broth and simmer, uncovered, until heated through and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve: Keep Carne Seca warm by placing on a warming tray or serrving in a frying pan set to warm. Accompany with a bowl or platter of 6-inch flour tortillas, cut into sixths. Guests spoon a little of the Carne Seca onto a tortilla wedge to eat.
• About those leftovers: This recipe makes a large amount but the leftovers keep well -- up to 4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to a month. Carne Seca is very versatile: you can use it in a casserole or as a filling for traditional Tex-Mex foods such as tacos, burritos, or taco salad. It can be a fine side dish accompanying a Mexican-style diner or may be the main course, accompanied by pinto beans and flour tortillas.
• Variation: Apache Burros. On the main street of Whiteriver, Arizona, on the Apache reservation, the Native-Americans come out at noon-time, sellling foods to other natives and to tourists alike. One of the most popular of the foods is Apache burros which are nothing more than the unadorned shredded meat of step 3 rolled into a flour tortilla. The meat is so well flavored, folks gobble these up.

CARNE GUISADA (STEWED BEEF)

Steps:

• Prepare the adobo: Combine the adobo ingredients in a small bowl, or blend in a large pilón or mortar and pestle.
• Prepare the guisado: Pat meat dry and put in a medium lidded bowl or a resealable bag. Evenly coat with the adobo and let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or in the refrigerator overnight.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large lidded, heavy-bottomed pot over high. Working in batches as needed to prevent crowding, add beef, shaking loose any additional adobo beforehand. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, flipping often to brown evenly. Transfer meat to a clean bowl and set aside.
• Lower heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and pour in sofrito, adding olive oil as needed if the pan is too dry. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until liquid has evaporated.
• Add sazón and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth (or water), tomatoes and their juices, and bay leaves, and scrape up any browned bits using a wooden spoon.
• Nestle meat into sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, then cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Add carrot and celery, and cook, covered, for 1 more hour, adding more water or broth if needed. At this stage, check the tenderness of the meat. It should start to get close to falling apart when pressed with the back of a spoon.
• Add potatoes and cook, covered, for 30 minutes more, until meat and potatoes are cooked through and tender.
• Adjust salt to taste, and serve on a plate or in a shallow bowl over a mound of white rice.

CARNE SECA

Steps:

• Place the flank steak in the freezer for an hour or so, until it is very firm -but not frozen- to make slicing easier.
• With a long, sharp knife, cut the meat into diagonal slices less than 1/4in (6 mm) thick.
• Lay the slices flat in a large glass or enamel baking dish.
• Combine the red wine, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, peppercorns and garlic.
• Pour over the meat, cover, and marinate in the refrigerate for about 4 hours, turning the slices occasionally.
• Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with an absorbent paper towels.
• Arrange the slices in a single layer on wire racks (such as those used for cooling cakes and cookies) and set the racks on foil-covered baking sheets.
• Place in a 175°F (80°C) oven for about 2 to 3 hours, until dry and dark brown, but still pliable.
• Watch it closely; during the last half hour or so the meat can burn quickly.
• Let cool completely, then store airtight.

STEAMED CARNE SECA

Steps:

• Place the jerky strips in a steamer or a colander set over gently simmering water. Cover and steam the jerky until very soft and moist, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, shred the jerky into long, thin strips along the grain, and serve right away.
• To serve, divide the cabbage and filling equally between the crispy shells, top with salsa and garnishes, and arrange in a taco holder. Or, lean the filled shells in a row, propped upright, on a platter. Eat right away. To build your own, spoon some cabbage and filling in a crispy shell, top with salsa and garnishes, and eat right away.