Venezuelan Shredded Beef Recipes

CARNE MECHADA (VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF)

Steps:

• Trim the meat, if necessary, and cut it into 4 pieces. Place the pieces in a medium soup pot and cover them with water. Add 1 quartered onion and simmer for 2 hours, removing any foam that may float to the top.
• Once cooked, remove the beef from the water and let it cool slightly. (Reserve 2 c of the cooking broth.)
• Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan with high sides over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 min until the onions are soft.
• Add the diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cumin. Mix well.
• Add the shredded meat and 2 c of the meat broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 min. (If you are serving your carne mechada with rice and beans, classic Venezuelan style, go ahead a leave the meat a little brothy. If you will be using it to fill arepas or empanadas, you will want to cook it until nearly dry, stirring often so it doesn't stick.)

VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF

Steps:

• 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 - 3 hours, or until the meat is fully cooked and tender. As the meat cooks, check the broth levels and add more if needed (the broth should always cover meat).
• When the meat is tender and fully cooked, carefully removed it from the pot, place it on a plate, and let it cool. Reserve broth (about 3-4 cups).
• Once the meat is cool enough, sheared using two forks or your hands, remove and discard big pieces of fat, if any.
• Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Then add garlic and let it cook for 1 more minute.
• Stir in shredded beef and mix to combine 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. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
• Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
• Cut the meat into 4 pieces. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Add 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.
• When the time is over, and the meat is tender, remove meat for the slow cooker. Once the meat is cool enough, sheared using two forks or your hands, remove and discard big pieces of fat, if any. and toss to coat with the juices
• Return shredded meat to the cooker and toss to coat with the sauce. Discard bay leaves.
• Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
• For pressure cooker instructions, check out my Instant Pot Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe.

VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF

Steps:

• Place the meat and sliced onions in a 4-quart saucepan with beef broth to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork, about 1 ½ hours. Let cool in stock. Remove meat and shred with your fingers. Strain the stock and set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the shredded meat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the paprika, chopped onions, garlic, bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have formed a sauce, about 20 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, and some of the reserved stock a little at a time; the meat should be juicy. Taste for salt and pepper.

PULLED BEEF WITH BLACK BEANS AND RICE (VENEZUELA)

Steps:

• Cook celery, carrots and onions in 1/4 cup of the dressing in covered Dutch oven or large saucepan on medium heat 5 min. or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from pan with slotted spoon, reserving any cooking liquid in pan. Set vegetables aside.
• Stir remaining 1/4 cup dressing into liquid in pan. Add meat; cook, uncovered, until browned on both sides, turning halfway through the cooking time. Return vegetables to pan. Add water and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 2 hours or until meat is tender.
• Remove meat from pan; place in shallow pan. Shred meat with 2 forks; cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid; discard vegetables. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid; set aside. Discard any remaining cooking liquid.
• Add tomatoes and garlic to pan; cook on medium-high heat 10 min., stirring occasionally. Add the shredded meat and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. To serve, spoon meat onto center of large platter; surround with the beans and rice. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

POLLO MECHADO (SHREDDED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; add chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a work surface and cool until easily handled.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion for about 3 minutes. Add red bell pepper; cook and stir until onion and pepper are softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cover skillet and cook onion mixture until slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Shred chicken using your hands and sprinkle into the onion mixture. Add sherry and capers; season with salt. Cook and stir chicken mixture until heated through and flavors have blended, 10 to 15 minutes. Mix cilantro and tomatoes into chicken mixture; cook and stir until tomatoes start to break down, 5 to 10 minutes.